Between Autobots and Decepticons
by Rebeldynasty
Summary: A story I originally submitted in late 2011. An AU story, involving Starscream's rebellion against Megatron. Could the Air Commander succeed this time? Perhaps with Skywarp and Thundercracker to aid him, he'll prove his "metal". Please Read and Review. **Currently on Hiatus. Will be continued down the road**
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Fumble

"Starscream, you blundering fool," Megatron snarled, "can't you get even one simple mission right?" The large, silver mech stood close; _far_ too close for Starscream's comfort. It wasn't unusual for him to be in this predicament, however. Many a-time, he had incurred his superior's ire. It didn't matter that Starscream was his best officer, no. It didn't matter that Megatron, himself, had erred as many times-if not more-than the Air Commander had. No, at this exact moment, Starscream was far too preoccupied with the fusion cannon nestled against the larger bot's forearm. It wouldn't be prudent for him to dispute the matter further; but, dispute he did.

The Air Commander looked at the Decepticon High Commander, barely veiling his contempt as he simpered, "But Megatron-"

"Enough! I don't want any of your excuses!"

Starscream's wings twitched, almost imperceptibly. A haughty glower darkened his already deep-grey faceplates, his ruby optics narrowing.

"But boss, it's not his fault-" Skywarp cut in, immediately recoiling from the burning glare he received in return. The black and violet seeker wasn't known for his vast well of wisdom, but when it came down to the heart of things, he was one of the best Decepticons at Megatron's command. This did not stop the tyrant from becoming irritable with him, however.

"You're right, Skywarp," Megatron growled, "all _three _of you are to blame! All you had to do was retrieve that weapon…"

"But sir, the Autobots-" Thundercracker began, but was cut off by a warning shot from the High Commander's fusion cannon ringing through the air. The colbalt seeker visibly cringed, deciding it was best not to proceed further.

"It was only Ironhide and that idiot, Huffer." Megatron continued to rant, the three seekers stunned into silence, "Are you telling me you are so incompetent that the _three_ of you couldn't handle _two_ of them?"

"Megatron, you said _yourself_ before sending us on that mission there was no possibility they'd know about it," Starscream, having found his voice again, went on vehemently, his servos clenched tightly, "bearing that in mind, they caught us unawares! It wasn't _our_ failure so much as it was _your_ incompetence in creating a legitimate plan!"

"You try my patience, Starscream…" Megatron warned.

Starscream went on relentlessly, momentarily forgetting his need for self-preservation. "Face it, _Lord _Megatron. You're getting on in years. It's time for someone else to take command of the Decepticons-like myself."

A blast rang out in the control room, the witnesses reacting with a combination of amusement on one side, and shock on the other. Starscream groaned, and attempted to get up from his position on the floor, flat on his back. Before he so much as sat up, Megatron's fist collided with his helm, and he toppled over, once again. He grunted from the pain, and riverted to kneeling on one knee before his commander.

"Please, Megatron." He pleaded; now the submission card was in play. If he wanted to survive long enough to overthrow the tyrant, he'd have to play _all_ his cards right.

"I grow tired of your implications that you'd be a better leader than I," Megatron stated in a glacially calm tone; the kind that was more threatening than a voice raised in anger. "Why should I spare your treacherous hide?"

"I'm sorry, Lord Megatron. It…won't happen again." Starscream stammered, "Please…the Decepticon cause…I'm too valuable to you…"

"Enough," Megatron snapped, "I will spare you. But do not ever forget who the leader is, for I will not be so quick to forgive again, if you do."

"Yes, my Lord."

"Until the three of you truly redeem yourselves, however, consider yourselves demoted."

The three seekers gasped in dismay, all beginning to protest at once.

"Silence!" The High Commander barked. "Dirge, Thrust, and Ramjet shall be the new Wing Commanders. You will report to them, now, until I deem you worthy to take up your former roles…_if_ I ever do."

Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp accepted this reluctantly. What choice did they have? Megatron dismissed them to their quarters, the trio doing their best to avoid the smirks on their fellow seekers' faceplates. Starscream seethed all the way, his vision tunneled in the process.

_One day, I will lead the Decepticons, Megatron! And when I do, it will be you who begs for MY mercy!_

"I can't believe Megatron just demoted us like that." Thundercracker murmured as the three of them walked down the corridor leading to their personal quarters, which they shared.

The hall was dimly lit, which only added to the dreary shades of grey that it was made up of. It smelled of titanium alloy and ammonia cleaning agents, the latter stinging all three pairs of optics as they continued down the lengthy hall to their own door.

"I can." Starscream snorted in disgust.

"This isn't the first time a plan has gone to slag," Skywarp pointed out, "so why was he all worked up like that?"

"And it isn't like all failed plans are fragged up by us. Even _Shockwave_ has failed him!" Thundercracker added.

They stopped at the metal door that led to their room, Starscream keying in the security code. "Megatron fails _himself_," he muttered crossly, "but enough of that. For now, we must recharge. Tomorrow, we will devise a plan."

"Plan? What plan?" Skywarp inquired, the trio entering the large, overly-pristine room. It was neatly kept, thanks to Starscream and Thundercracker's influence. It didn't contain overly much, due to Megatron's strict policy about personal belongings. At the far end to the right was a small console station, where they could watch television broadcasts, create their reports, or do research. To the left of that was a sterilisation station, where they cleaned themselves up. At the opposite end of the room were shelves, filled with datapads. Just off to the side of these, three recharge berths sat, spaced apart just enough that the seekers weren't too crowded.

"I refuse to take this demotion lying down," Starscream replied, "Megatron will rue the day he treated us like scrap!"

"You're talking about _mutiny_," Thundercracker gaped, "are you nuts? Didn't you hear what Megatron _said?"_

"My audio receptors work fine," the former Air Commander snapped, "this time, I won't fail; this time, I _will _usurp Megatron's power!"

"How is this time different from any other time?" Skywarp asked, lying down on his recharge berth, the other two doing the same.

"You'll see."

The next day, the seekers weren't required for any missions; Megatron had the Constructicons busy building his own version of the weapon the trio had failed to swipe. By some miracle, he had managed to get his hands on the schematics. This only proved to further sour their already acidic moods.

"If that's the case, why the heck did he demote us? It wasn't a total loss." Thundercracker mused bitterly, taking a measured sip of energon. The trine mates shared a table within the recreation bar and lounge aboard Nemesis, the Decepticon ship that functioned only as their base, as it now sat below sea level.

"For Megatron, that doesn't matter," came Starscream's equally bitter reply, "it's the principle of the thing."

"Keep it down," Skywarp admonished the other two in a hushed whisper, "Soundwave is only two tables away. You know how loyal he is to Megatron."

From their peripherals, they could see that Skywarp was right; the communications specialist was indeed only two tables away, his red visor gleaming eerily.

"That's the smartest thing you've said since you came from the Well of Sparks." Starscream snickered.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean, _Commander_?" Skywarp replied in mock indignation.

Starscream felt his dark mood lifting; whether it was due to the energon warming his circuits, or because he seldom got to enjoy light-sparked banter with his trine mates, he wasn't sure.

"I'm just saying," he grinned impishly, "that between you and TC, I'm surprised either of you idiots can string a sentence together. It's like you share the same CPU-Hey!" He was cut off as both Thundercracker and Skywarp tackled him to the floor, knocking their chairs over in the process. With identical mischievous smirks on their faces, they began to tickle their former Air Commander beneath his arm joints, and on either side of his wings. He squirmed, laughter pouring out in choked fits.

"No! Primus! Stop, stohahahap!" he pleaded, surrendering to gales of helpless laughter. Both the light-blue and black and violet seekers intensified their attacks, digging in maliciously. By this point, Starscream lived up to his name, his screams of laughter piercing their audio receptors most painfully.

Thundercracker snorted in mock derision, and said over his wing-mates shrill giggles, "What do you think, 'Warp? Has he had enough?"

"I don't know. It's amazing I can string a sentence together, remember?" Skywarp grinned, grabbing both of Starscream's wrists in his one hand, and using the other to aid in torturing the ex Air Commander, his fingers flicking quickly over the others' neck.

This caused Starscream to dissolve into a grovelling mass of metal , his vents working over-time. "I take it back! I take it back! _Please_…" he begged, howling with laughter, "I-I was kidding!"

"You could've fooled us," Thundercracker chuckled, "you sure sounded serious to us _idiots_…" He put further emphasis on this, by quickening his ticklish jabs.

It was all Starscream could take, the mostly red seeker submitting through his forced mirth.

"I'm sorry! Primus, no more…"

Skywarp and Thundercracker released their victim, both chuckling as they helped him to his pedes.

"Never…do that…again…or I'll use…my null-ray…on you…" he panted, servos on his knees.

The three seekers became acutely aware that they'd just had a tickle-fight in the middle of the rec. room like a bunch of sparklings. They looked around self-consciously, but to their immense relief, no one else was there. All three exhaled rather comically, opting to continue where they'd left off before their 'brotherly' rough-housing had ensued.

"Well, since we're alone, now would be a good time to unveil my plan." Starscream decided.

"So, what is it?" Thundercracker and Skywarp asked in unison, their expressions quizzical.

"Phase One: We need to take a trip to Cybertron. There's a cache of energon there."

"But we have energon here." Skywarp interjected.

"Not an unlimited supply, 'Warp. And this isn't for _us_," Starscream explained, "this is for our allies-to-be."

"And who would that be?"

"The Insecticons."

"I don't know about this, Star," Thundercracker said hesitantly, "the Insecticons are prone to reneging on an agreement as soon as they've had their fill."

The trio were currently flying over the Amazon Rainforest, their scanners indicating that their insect counter-parts had taken up residency deep within the lush, humid woodland.

"TC's right," Skywarp chimed in, adding his two cents worth, "if they decide it's gettin' too hot, they'll abandon the mission. And then we'll _really_ be slag."

Starscream sighed irritably. "Do you two honestly think I haven't taken that into consideration? I have a contingency plan."

"Then fill us in, oh fearless leader." Skywarp replied, his voice carrying mirth.

"It's simple; the Insecticons aren't required for our strike force. I'd prefer to have their help, but if they should retreat-like they've been known to in the past-it won't tilt the scales in Megatron's favour."

"So why are we here with all that energon from Cybertron?"

"We need the Insecticons to locate something for us;" Starscream replied, slowly lowering his altitude, the other two following, "something that will tilt the scales in _our_ favour."

The three F-15 Eagles touched down in a clearing, where the bush was sparse. They transformed from their alt modes to their proto-forms, and scanned the area.

"How do you know they can help us?" Thundercracker pressed.

"Because it's something they've used before."

"A cloning facility." The light-blue seeker concluded. This eased his mind, and once it was explained to him, Skywarp's mind as well. They'd gone through a great deal of trouble to bring fifty cubes of energon from Cybertron to Earth without getting caught. The alarms had gone off, but they had disabled all other security measures beforehand. This meant that though Shockwave knew the cache had been broken into, he was unaware of who the culprits were. If he was unaware, then so too, was Megatron. If he had found out, the whole mission would have toppled like a house of cards.

The seekers trekked through the dense foliage, carrying the condensed energon cubes with ease. Starscream stopped, the others doing likewise.

"Insecticons, we require your assistance!" he called out.

"Starscream," Shrapnel greeted, a large Stag beetle coming forward, then transforming to his proto-form, "what do you want-want?"

His second, known as Bombshell, came forward, guised as a Rhinoceros Beetle, followed by Kickback, whom had the form of a grasshopper. They too, transformed, awaiting the seeker's explanation.

Starscream placed the energon before the three greedy insect robots, and declared, "We have a proposal for you."

All three exchanged looks, Shrapnel replying, "We're listening-listening."

_~Meanwhile, at Autobot H.Q.~_

"Are you certain, Blaster?" Optimus Prime and his fellow Autobots gathered around Teletraan-One, where they had a visual of Blaster making his report on-screen.

"No doubt about it, Optimus," the red Autobot guised as a boombox declared, "there was Decepticon activity spotted near the Amazon Rainforest only moments ago."

"Can you get there in time?" The Autobot leader inquired.

"Yeah, Ironhide and I will go check it out, but we're probably gonna need back-up."

"Consider it done." The screen went blank, and Optimus Prime turned to address the room full of Autobots. "I will go to aid Blaster and Ironhide. Who will join me?"

Bumblebee and Bluestreak stepped forward.

"Count us in, boss."

"All right. The rest of you, keep an eye on headquarters, and for any other Decepticon activity. Bluestreak, Bumblebee; transform, and roll out!"

_~Aboard the Decepticon base, Nemesis~_

Megatron stood silent for a moment, mulling over what he'd just heard on Soundwave's audio playback.

"So," he said after a long moment, "Starscream was behind the energon cache on Cybertron being broken into."

"Affirmative." Soundwave diagnosed, his voice a tinny monotone.

"And he wishes to make an alliance with the Insecticons," Megatron continued, rubbing his chin absent-mindedly, "the question is why…"

"Reason: Unknown."

"Good work, Soundwave. It seems we will need to keep a closer optic on our former Wing Commanders."

"Yes, Lord Megatron. Laserbeak, Rat-Bat," the communications specialist pressed the eject button on his chassis, two cassettes popping out of his chest, "reconnaissance mission: Starscream."

"And make sure you're not seen." Megatron cautioned.

Both cassette Decepticons squawked their confirmation, then left the High Commander and his officers to their own devices.

_The weapon is nearly complete, _Megatron mused, a manic gleam in his eye, _and when it is, no one will stand in my way!_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Revolt Begins

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters contained in this chapter; all characters are property of Hasbro.**

_**Edit: As I have mentioned in my first chapter, I am performing some editorial work on most-if not all-of my chapters that are currently uploaded. For the rest of my chapters yet to come (starting with chapter 13) I have acquired the services of a beta reader, whom I am confident will aid me in bettering my writing skills. :) I will not be deleting any content herein, but rather adding to it. I apologize for the inconvenience, and thank you for your time.**_

"This will do nicely," Starscream declared, stepping into the large console room, "you have done well, Insecticons. Skywarp, reward them."

Skywarp grunted in minor irritation, and set the stacks of energon cubes in front of the black, gold and purple trio. They didn't waste any time, and began devouring their prize.

"So, do we have your co-operation in fighting Megatron, as well?" Starscream ventured, hoping that if they were satisfied, they'd be more amicable.

"Fifty cubes of energon isn't enough for that," Bombshell said, "if your plan fails, Megatron will destroy us, as well."

"Told you they'd renege." Thundercracker grumbled, crossing his arms.

Starscream ignored this comment, and prompted, "What would it take to employ your services further?"

"Two-hundred," answered Shrapnel, "and not a cube less-less!"

"Two_-hundred_? Are they completely insa-"

Starscream cut off Skywarp's tirade, holding his hand up for silence. He gave his subordinate a warning look, the other venting in resignation. In order for their business deal to go according to plan, Skywarp would have to learn to rein in his impatient nature.

"Very well. But we'll pay half in advance _only_. If and when the mission succeeds, we'll pay the second half-_with_ interest."

The Insecticons muttered amongst themselves, pondering over the offer. The trine mates waited patiently-more or less. Skywarp's pede tapped rapidly, the scowl on his face making it apparent how thin his patience was becoming.

Before Skywarp could open his mouth, however, they had reached a verdict.

"Very well," Shrapnel decided, "should the plan fail, we will accept and pull out with our one-hundred energon cubes, in good faith that there will be no hard feelings-feelings."

"Agreed. When we have your energon ready, we will contact you," Starscream replied, "for now, we have preparations of our own to make."

"Slag!" Thundercracker cursed kliks later, kicking the cloning console angrily, "effing _Slag!_" He proceeded to storm around the facility, his wings quivering with supressed rage. The facility was moderately large, though the ceiling was lower than the flier liked. It made him feel claustrophobic, as though the very sky could collapse at any minute. This wasn't uncommon amongst seekers; they were not programmed to stay on the ground, and enjoyed large, open areas in contrast to the sequestered building the trio found themselves in.

"Those little creepy-crawlers lied to us," Skywarp lamented from behind him, his eyes glinting dangerously, "this clonin' facility doesn't even work!" He too, showed signs of agitation, his ventilations comnig quickly.

"Calm down, you two," Starscream admonished them, "the Insecticons haven't deceived us." He tapped a few keys on the central console, scanning the diagnosis that came up on the screen. "Ah, here's the problem…" He pointed at the screen, to an area emblazoned with red writing, and turned to his wing-mates.

"I don't get it. What is it?"

"The console is missing a very important component; the atom replicator."

"So, what do we do, now?"

"It's simple, Thundercracker. We're going to Cybertron," Starscream grinned, "there are plenty of replicators there."

"Star, this whole mutiny is turning into a suicide mission." Thundercracker protested, Skywarp nodding empathetically.

"Ye of little faith," Starscream shook his head in mock indignation, "I have planned for every contingency."

"I hope so," Skywarp mumbled, elbowing Thundercracker's side meaningfully, "or we're in very deep scrap."

_~Several groons later~_

Despite their reservations of the former Decepticon Air Commanders' plan, they had to admit, it was clever. Simple- but clever.

"So all we've gotta do is break into that Perceptor bot's lab?" Skywarp asked, the three seekers walking down the main trench of Iacon, peering at the door numbers as they went. The city was vast, made up of criss-crossing intersections, large hydraulic-supported bridges, and glittering lights. Large skyscrapers dotted the once-wealthy sector here and there, with sentry guns set up at the entrances of the most prestigious establishments, deactivated long ago.

Thundercracker nodded absently, only vaguely aware of his wing-mates' question.

"Wait," Skywarp froze suddenly, optics looking wary, "isn't that the 'bot whose inventions never work?"

"You simpleton. You're thinking of Wheeljack," Starscream chided, rolling his optics, "Perceptor is a scientist, like I once was, myself." Starscream stopped walking, and half-whispered, "Ah, here it is." He began punching in an over-ride on the access panel, just barely catching Skywarp making faces at him from his peripherals. The Air Commander chuckled, Thundercracker cuffing the denser trine mate's helm playfully.

"All right, you two. Let's get to work." Starscream ordered, shaking his head in amusement. They entered the lab, and starting searching through multiple cupboards and drawers. The lab, thankfully, wasn't large, but it _was_ cluttered. Edging along the walls were alloyed countertops, laiden with datapads, corked test tubes, petri dishes, and various other scientific tools.

_When the Autobots had left Cybertron, they must have been in a big hurry, _Starscream mused, _from what I recall of Perceptor, he never left his laboratory so unkempt._

"So, what exactly does this whatchamacallit look like?" Skywarp inquired after several kliks had passed. He absent-mindedly twirled a funny, cylindrical device between his fingers.

"_Atom replicator_," Starscream corrected, "and you're holding it."

"Whoa, good job. _Especially_ for you, 'Warp!" Thundercracker gave a throaty chuckle, clapping his comrade on the back.

"Shaddup." The darker seeker grumbled, flicking his blue counter-part on the nose in retaliation.

"This was easier than I thought," Starscream declared gleefully, "now, all we have to do is leave Cybertron undetected, and we're golden." He took the atom replicator from Skywarp, and studied the delicate wiring running adjacent to the cylinder's form. Gingerly, he tucked it into his cockpit.

Skywarp and Thundercracker scanned the room further, the former tripping over a lever that was located dead-centre in the lab, causing it to switch from its vertical angle to nearly horizontal. He crashed to the stainless steel floor, smacking his head on the edge of on of the countertops.

"Ow…what the…" he growled, but was stopped by Thundercracker putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, 'Warp. I think you opened a secret passage!" Thundercracker exclaimed.

All three pairs of optics scanned the room, noting that a panel of the wall had slid open, revealing a dark, narrow passage way.

"Well, should we check it out?" he asked after a moment, glancing at his trine mates for confirmation.

"Yes, we should," Starscream answered, "but be on high alert. We don't know what booby-traps might have been set up in here."

"I don't believe it," Starscream vented, his voice barely a whisper, "this is perfect!"

"What are you talkin' about, 'Screamer?" Skywarp snorted, kicking at a pile of rubbish. "It's just broken down mechs in here."

At the end of the passage way, the trio had wound up in another room, similar to Perceptor's lab. The only difference was, it wasn't filled with scientific equipment, but with mechanical tools, instead. Most of the floor was littered with broken robots, all bearing a very familiar purple insignia on them. As far as the Air Commander could guess, it must have been the Autobot Wheeljack's workshop.

"Don't call me that," Starscream rumbled, "and these are broken down _Decepticons_. They can be repaired."

"You plan on using them in our assault against Megatron, don't you?" Thundercracker surmised knowingly, narrowing his optics.

"Precisely."

"Well, I have to agree with 'Warp," Thundercracker shrugged, "most of these bots are _way _beyond repair."

"_Most_, my dear TC, not _all_." Starscream emphasized. "Let's see who we can salvage."

"Just need to tighten one last bolt." Starscream murmured, his fingers working nimbly on the mech he'd been repairing for the last few breems. "There. She should be ready for recharge within a groon or so."

He straightened up, casting an optic over the other mechs the three of them had been repairing. _They will make a nice addition to my Decepticon Elite_. He thought proudly. What better designation for his army was there? After all, he and his wing brothers had been the elite of Megatron's troops; the title only seemed more fitting, taking _that_ into account.

"Now what?" Thundercracker's query snapped him out of his reverie, the blue seeker almost looking bored.

"Now, we bring them back to Earth. We'll put them in the cloning facility to recharge, and send a scan-drone out to pick appropriate alt forms for them."

"What about our clone army," Thundercracker retorted, "or are you forgetting the reason why we came all this way?"

"Of course I haven't," Starscream huffed, "use your CPU. With these bots at our command, in addition to our clone army, we will be unstoppable!"

Skywarp and Thundercracker exchanged startled looks, both having noticed the manic gleam in their Commander's optics.

"In the meantime, though," Starscream went on, "we shall report back to Megatron. Until our army is fully formed, we can't afford to raise his suspicions of our whereabouts for the last few mega-cycles, now, can we?"

"Do you think he might still suspect us, anyway?" Skywarp asked fretfully, biting his lower lip component.

"If he does, we'll have to be more tactful in concealing our plans from him."

"And if he knows?" Thundercracker pressed, not at all convinced they'd get away with their mutiny so easily. "Your precautionary measures notwithstanding, Megatron is a much more clever mech than you give him credit for."

"Then we'll have to blast our way out of Nemesis, and return with our forces."

"I hope you know what you're doing, Star," Thundercracker vented softly, "or this could be the shortest revolt in Cybertronian history."

_~Back on Earth~_

Once within the confines of the cloning facility, the three seekers replenished their energon levels; flying through space was tiresome, especially for short-range fighter jets. And with a constant Decepticon guard around the space bridge, they had no other options.

They unloaded the one-hundred energon cubes promised to the Insecticons, the primitive Decepticons devouring most of it within nano-seconds, not even bothering to change to their proto-forms.

Starscream busied himself with installing the atom replicator into the console, while his trine mates hooked up their salvaged mechs to recharge berths.

Once Starscream had finished his task, he turned to the satiated Insecticons. "So, we have your word that when we signal you, you will aid us in our assault?" he crossed his arms expectantly.

"Yes, but remember our agreement," Bombshell answered, being the smartest of his Insecticon brothers, "if the mission succeeds, you owe us more energon. If it fails, we abandon it, and you will not take retribution upon us."

Prior dealings with Megatron had clearly made the Insecticons paranoid. Starscream had little patience for this, however, and vented in irritation. "I remember well, Bombshell. For now, you may leave."

The Insecticons complied, carrying the remaining energon cubes, compressed in stack formation, upon their backs.

Starscream turned to his wing-mates, both staring at him, awaiting orders.

"Now, we must check-in with Megatron. We must also use extreme caution."

Both nodded their understanding. Despite their demotion, they still viewed Starscream as their Air Commander, and to him, they were still his best bots for the job.

The trio transformed into their alt forms, and took off. The salvaged mechs would need at least twelve groons-that is, twelve Earth hours-before they were back online. Having been out of commission for so long, they required a longer recharge, the first time around.

_I don't care what excuse I have to come up with_, Starscream thought as they soared away, _I will make sure I'm here when they awake, and they will be enlisted in my Decepticon Elite army!_

_~At Autobot Headquarters~_

"Any luck, Prime?" Jazz inquired as the Autobot leader, flanked by Blaster and Ironhide, strode into headquarters.

"We have a lead, but it's not much to go on," Optimus admitted, "we intercepted some of their transmissions, but nothing overly conclusive."

"As far as we've gathered, Starscream, and his buddies Skywarp and Thundercracker, are up to somethin'. They had some dealin's with the Insecticons." Ironhide explained, leaning wearily against Teletraan-One.

"It looks like it involved mutiny against Megatron." Blaster added.

Jazz snorted. "Starscream…that mech is a glutton fer punishment, I tell ya."

"I'm not concerned about there being dissention in the Decepticon ranks," Optimus replied worriedly, "but, if what they're planning were to become harmful to humanity and the Earth itself, we must intervene."

"Should we put 'em under surveillance?" Blaster suggested.

"I think it would be in our best interest," Optimus agreed. "Blaster, send Steel Jaw out on reconnaissance. Jazz, you shall accompany him."

Both Autobots obliged, Blaster ejecting his cassette lion, Steel Jaw, as Jazz transformed into his Martini racing Porsche guise.

"Do a routine check of the facility they were using every thirty-minutes, Earth time. Call in if you find out anything unusual, or if you need back-up. Otherwise, give us hourly reports. Roll out!" Optimus ordered.

Steel Jaw and Jazz acknowledged, and set off to fulfill their task.

_~En route to Decepticon H.Q.~_

On their return flight, the three seekers went through possible cover stories, each a contingency for whatever awaited them back at base. There was no way to know exactly, whether Megatron knew anything, or nothing at all; whether he'd be suspicious, or if he'd call their bluff. And so, they paired up the different stories they fabricated to go with their possible outcomes. Upon entering the control room on Nemesis, they weren't surprised by what greeted them.

"So, the traitors have returned." boomed Megatron's voice, his fusion cannon pointed at the three of them as they entered. Scanning the room, they noted that the rest of the Decepticon army were doing, likewise, with their own weapons.

"Just what, exactly, are you referring to?" Starscream countered, arms crossed defiantly. Thundercracker and Skywarp stood on either side of him, their faceplates feigning confusion and innocence.

"Soundwave, play-back." Megatron ordered.

The Communications specialist obliged, and all present heard the trio's plot against Megatron; from their first referencing it in the rec. room/ bar lounge, to their alliance with the Insecticons.

Starscream's face remained impassive_. So, it's come to this_, he mused._ Well, he would have found out, sooner or later. I would have preferred when he would be at my feet, but one can't always choose the outcome. As long as the end result is the same…_

Aloud, he said, "Dear Megatron, this all could have been avoided," his words carried mock remorse, "if you hadn't demoted us so senselessly."

"Fool," the other retorted, "you don't even attempt to deny it. So unlike you, Starscream. Your Megalomania is only overshadowed by your stupidity. I have the whole Decepticon army at my command; with one word, I could have you melted down for parts!"

Starscream shifted, and then shouted, "Now!" The trio of seekers dropped the smoke grenades they'd been concealing in their cockpits. This action was answered by laser fire from the other Decepticons, Megatron roaring orders over the cacophony of blasts, all visuals compromised by the haze of smoke. The trine mates returned fire, deflecting as many errant laser bolts as they could, ignoring the sting of minor ones that had gotten passed their defenses.

Skywarp grabbed his companions by a wing each, and bellowed over the noise, "This isn't goin' so well. I think it's time to make a hasty retreat!" With that, he activated his teleportation device, and with a resounding _pop_, the trio were safely outside of Decepticon H.Q.

"Well done, 'Warp." Thundercracker panted, rubbing a sore servo. The party glanced around, noting they were in a remote field only a few miles from the cloning facility.

"It's an unfortunate set-back that they knew," Starscream stated after a moment, "but not one that we hadn't anticipated."

"_We?_ You mean not one that_ I_ hadn't anticipated." Thundercracker corrected smugly.

"Let's not split wires, here," Starscream replied hastily, "the point is, we were prepared for the possibility."

"While you two are yakkin', Megatron is probably mobilizing the entire Decepticon fleet to hunt us down! We need to get our army organized. Are you comin', or what?" Skywarp snapped at the pair of them.

Starscream and Thundercracker exchanged looks of bewilderment and amusement, and without another word, the trio transformed to their alt modes, rushing to the cloning facility as fast as their after-burners could take them.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Decepticon Elite

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, other than Stinger, Hurricane, Pulse, Dropzone, Slicer, Rapidfire, Mach Three, and Rainstorm. The clone concept belongs to Hasbro, but these specific clones are of my creation. All other characters are property of Hasbro. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only.**

_Author's Note: It should also be noted that though my OC's are technically supposed to be older than Starscream and company, they were offlined at a young age on Cybertron; because of this, and because Starscream rebuilt them and reactivated them, they'll be treated as younger than the seekers, rather than older. Just thought I'd throw that in there._

_**Edit: This chapter, like it's predecessors, has undergone editting. None of the original content will be deleted, but will be added to. I apologize for the inconvenience. Thanks to my reviewers for your support. :)**_

"We're just in time," Starscream declared, "our new allies are coming online."

And so it was; all eight mechs were stirring, optics flickering ruby red. The three seekers had already had a scan-drone pick suitable alt forms for the new arrivals, each one suited for air combat. They would have a decided advantage over Megatron's ground forces, and their numbers would out-do what few seekers he had left at his command.

As each one left their berth, Starscream gave them designations.

"You," he pointed to a yellow and white bot with black stripes, "your name shall be 'Stinger'."

"Yes, sir." Stinger saluted stiffly.

This caused Skywarp and Thundercracker to double over, laughing. Stinger looked from one Wing Commander to another in confusion.

"Don't be troubled," Starscream assured him, "some bots don't know how to show _respect_." This last word he put emphasis on, quieting his trine mates giggling. Both looked at the Air Commander soberly.

"Sorry, Star. It won't happen again." Skywarp apologized, Thundercracker mumbling his assent.

"See that it doesn't," Starscream replied loftily, "this is a serious matter, remember? Megatron is undoubtedly on his way, or at the very least, forming his strike force."

"Yeah, 'Warp. What happened to all those smarts you showed only kliks ago?" Thundercracker nudged him.

"Shut up, Thundercracker. You were laughin', too."

"Can we _please_ be a little professional in front of the new recruits?" Starscream hissed.

Both obliged, and they continued with the task of naming their new fleet. Soon after, Stinger was joined by Hurricane, Pulse, Dropzone, Slicer, Rapidfire, Mach Three, and the one femme of the group, Rainstorm. The new recruits faced their Wing and Air Commanders, eagerly awaiting their orders.

"Welcome, you are among the Decepticon Elite," Starscream gestured with a hand to himself, Skywarp, and Thundercracker, "we found you on Cybertron, battered and broken."

"I…remember Cybertron. But it's vague. I don't recall anything about my former self." Said Rainstorm. The trine appraised her a moment, taking in her features for the first time since re-activating her. Her face was bright silver, her optics crimson, her body mostly white, with hints of gold on her wings. She had black on her toe-plates and her hands, and Periwinkle stripes along her shoulder vents and knees, accented with slimmer stripes of silver. She was built sleeker than the trine, with slight feminine curves. This was also due in part to her alt mode, which was an F-15E Strike Eagle, as opposed to their regular F-15 forms. It was only a slight modification, but she wore it well.

The trine were shaken out of their assessment by the other new seekers, who murmured concurrence with her statement. It seemed none of them could recall who they had been before Starscream and his wing brothers had found them.

"Unfortunately, we don't possess knowledge of your former lives, either," Thundercracker cut in to the buzz of conversation, "all we do know is, whoever you were, you were abandoned quite some time ago."

"What do you wish of us?" piped up Rapidfire, whom was the most youthful looking of them all. He was mostly a vivid red, accented with silver and black along the joints of his body.

"You are to be our army," Starscream explained, "We were formerly led by Megatron, High Commander of the Decepticons. Alas, Megatron is an unworthy leader. He has failed those under his command."

Starscream then went into a quick overview of how Megatron had not attained the Decepticon ideals, and how he treated his subordinates poorly; that this was the reason why Starscream himself, and his trine, had revolted.

The eight recruits followed Starscream's explanation with rapt attention; something the Air Commander had never achieved before with _anyone_.

"Right now, Megatron and his forces are no doubt mobilizing," Thundercracker picked up where his superior had left off, "but, we have the advantage. We picked diverse, capable alt forms for each of you. In fact, only two of you share the same form." He looked at Rapidfire and Slicer, whom were twins in both their proto-forms and alt modes, the latter being grey, with black and white stripes.

Thundercracker began to pace, his optics flickering over each face as he continued on, "The battle will be difficult, but each of you has been re-programmed with vast combat knowledge, and advanced weaponry. Under our leadership, all of you will survive."

At this point, Starscream and Skywarp began passing out cubes of energon, each recruit receiving one ration.

"Take your fill, my young warriors," Starscream urged, "soon, we will be joined by our Insecticon brothers, and then, we shall bring Megatron and his forces to their knees!"

While their new recruits replenished energy, the seekers took the opportunity to create replicas of themselves. It was decided three clone versions of each would suffice, since they didn't have the resources to create more, and each clone would be more unstable than the last. To ensure that the clones didn't consider themselves the original Starscream, Skywarp, or Thundercracker, they altered their mental capacities, along with their colour patterns.

Starscream's clones came out merely as faded versions of himself, each one more faded than the last. Skywarp's were a little less predictable. The first one wasn't too bad, and merely had his colours, inverted. The next two were down-right embarrassing. One was a clash of navy blue and maroon, the other steel grey and lavender.

Thundercracker laughed uproariously-until his last clone stepped out of its chamber. The first version was merely white, all over. The second one, a soft teal. The last was by far the most excruciating-vibrant pink.

Starscream and Skywarp slapped their knees and held their sides as they doubled over, mirth spilling in the form of energon from their optics. Thundercracker scowled, his optics narrowed to slits. Once their chuckles had died down to gasps, they returned to their expectant followers, humour replaced by solemnity.

The clones joined the ranks of the recruits, the Insecticons arriving just in time.

"It has been three hours since we made our intentions to Megatron clear," Starscream announced to the room at large, "we are certain he will strike within a breem. Having been under his command for so many meta-cycles, this is what we've come to expect. Now that you are fully replenished, it is time to prepare for our assault. We will be splitting into four teams."

He swept his optics over each of them, and continued, "Under my command: Rainstorm, Slicer, S-Clone 1, Warp-Clone 1, T-Clone 3." He referred to the clones in the order which they'd stepped from the cloning chambers. The five mechs joined him, and Thundercracker began to call out his assault team.

"Pulse, Hurricane, S-Clone 3, T-Clone 1, and Warp-Clone 2, fall in!" All five did as instructed.

"Alright, Stinger, Dropzone, Rapidfire, T-Clone 2 and S-Clone 2, you're with me." Skywarp ordered. Though usually considered the thick-headed of his trine, he was much more efficient in his cognitive faculties when battle was involved. His selection too, fell in line.

Starscream then turned to the Insecticon leader. "Shrapnel, I give you your own strike force as well. Among your two Insecticon brothers, Warp-Clone 3 and Mach Three are at your behest. Have you any reservations with this arrangment?"

The Insecticon leader shook his head. "It is fine," he declared, "but should the plan fail, we will flee. Then they will be yours to reclaim-reclaim."

"Understood. If the plan succeeds, you stand to gain the energon promised to you, and then some. Lead well." Starscream replied. With the promise of copious amounts of energon, he was convinced the Insecticons would surely be further motivated.

Starscream turned his attention back to his subordinates, and cried, "Now, my Decepticon Elite! Mobilize; it is time to prepare for battle!"

Fists were pumped into the air, followed up with shouts of enthusiasm.

Each team leader bellowed at their forces to follow them, each group splitting off from one another to cover more area. When Megatron and his forces arrived, the seekers would be ready.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Paradigm Shifts

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, except the clones, Rapidfire, Hurricane, Rainstorm, Mach Three, Pulse, Dropzone, Slicer, and Stinger. All other characters are property of Hasbro. This fanfiction is purely for entertainment purposes; I make no profit from it.**

_**Edit: Like the previous chapters, this one has undergone some editting. Nothing has been removed, but rather, improved on (or so I hope). I apologize to all of you who have already read these earlier chapters, and thank you for your support.**_

"I hope we're not too late," Optimus said, as he and his fellow Autobots tore across a clearing that would eventually lead them to the cloning facility. Thanks to Jazz and Steeljaw's Intel, the Autobots knew about the battle-to-come before it had officially started.

"It looks like we're on time." Ironhide assured him, the red Nissan vanette bumping along in the Freightliner's wake. Overhead, a large group of aircraft suddenly split into four smaller groups. Three of them disappeared from sight, but the fourth group stayed, firing on the Autobot army.

"Autobots, transform!" Optimus ordered. Several of the cars veered, dodging missiles that detonated just shy of them.

Cliffjumper and Bumblebee provided cover fire for those who still had yet to transform to their proto-forms. One of Bumblebee's shots struck Starscream's left wing. Smoke curled from the tip of it, the F-15 juking hard as he tried to regain control.

Skywarp suddenly appeared beneath him, having teleported, and tried to ease his wing-mate to the ground safely. This failed, ending in a resounding crash. Flame blocked the fallen aircraft from sight, black smoke continuing to billow from the crash sight. Skywarp swore loudly, transforming to his proto-form, and fired on the Autobots. A group of seekers followed his example, none of which any of the Autobots had ever seen before.

"It looks like they built themselves some new pals." Wheeljack commented, returning fire. He, along with Tracks and Warpath, were wedged between a copse of thick trees.

"At least Bumblebee took down Starscream." Tracks remarked, a bolt of energy narrowly missing him.

Powerglide soared overhead, pelting the seeker onslaught as he went. "I'm not so sure that was Starscream," he replied, "something seems wrong, here."

"He's right," from somewhere to their right, came Ratchet's voice, "Starscream is a natural flier. That's not him; the energy readings are all wrong."

The Autobots continued to take cover, firing on their foes when the opportunity presented itself.

Warpath transformed to his alt mode, an M551 Sheridan Tank, and began blasting at the surrounding cliff faces. This created a landslide, which was a perfect diversion in his mind. It would allow his companions to move closer, and perhaps, if they could ground the seekers, they'd have the advantage.

"Interesting. That teal jet that resembles Thundercracker isn't him, either. His energy readings are similar, but it definitely is not him. In fact, Skywarp is the only one I'm certain _is_ himself." Ratchet declared, running a final diagnostic.

"How is this possible?" Optimus asked, firing his gun on a deep-red F-14 Tomcat as it whizzed overhead, the aircraft rolling as if to taunt him.

"It seems the Starscream that Bumblebee took down, and that blue-green Thundercracker, are clones," Ratchet explained, "and the other jets appear to be new recruits. I certainly haven't seen them before."

"Huh. I thought something was funny about them," Sunstreaker mused aloud, "I just thought they had new paint jobs."

"With you, brother, _everything_ is about paint jobs." Sideswipe countered, taking a shot at the Thundercracker clone. It too, shared the Starscream clone's fate. From where the Autobots stood, their foes certainly weren't getting up.

They could hear Skywarp curse again, the black and purple seeker passing overhead in his alt mode. "Dropzone, Rapidfire, Stinger! Fall back!" he barked over the Decepticon comm. frequency.

The Concorde, F/A-18, and F-14 obliged, joining their Wing Commander in a tight formation. They stayed out of the Autobots' line of fire, Skywarp sending a distress single out to one of his trine mates.

"Skywarp to Thundercracker, requesting back-up!"

_"I copy, Skywarp. E.T.A. One klik. Can you hold out until then?"_

"I still have a few tricks left."

"He just called for back-up," Jazz informed Optimus, having hacked into their frequency, "requesting permission to lead a strike force, sir?"

"Permission granted," Optimus replied, "it sounds like we will require reinforcements of our own."

Jazz sped off in his alt mode, followed by Prowl, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, and Mirage. They tore across the soft, lush landscape, careful to avoid any overly marshy areas as they went. They would try to slow down Skywarp's reinforcements, but only long enough to bring in more of their own.

"Powerglide, call the Aerialbots for help." Optimus ordered.

"I'm on it, boss." The A-10 Warthog opened a frequency, and relayed the message. After a moment of radio chatter, Powerglide called down to his comrades, "Aerialbots inbound, in one breem."

"Then let's hope Jazz and the others can hold off Skywarp's reinforcements longer than that," Hound shook his head, "or we can kiss our warranties good-bye."

Skywarp looped around, following Powerglide's flight path. "You three," he addressed his subordinates, "focus all your firepower on those Autobot ground forces. I'm taking on the plane."

The three recruits gave him their affirmation, and began their assault on the large group of Autobots that remained.

_I don't know why the other ones broke off, and I don't care,_ Skywarp thought, _let's see if this flying junk heap can take me on in a dog-fight…_

He locked onto the A-10, and fired two missiles. One merely grazed Powerglide's wing, but the other slammed into his aft, the plane groaning from the impact.

_I guess that's a "no"…_ Skywarp mused wryly.

Smoke billowed from Powerglide's thrusters, and he plummeted, going down in a tailspin. "Optimus, I'm hit!" he exclaimed, his voice frantic.

Down below, however, his fellow Autobots had problems of their own. All three of Skywarp's subordinates had the Autobots holed up in several crevices and fissures along the moutainous region. They had no way of evacuating without being bombarded.

"Where in pit are those Aerialbots?" Cliffjumper cried, unable to move as he was pressed between Optimus, Tracks, and Bumblebee.

The other Autobots, too, were crowded together, all along the illustrious mountainside that framed the Amazon Rainforest, unable to escape their makeshift cover.

"We're right here!" Silverbolt declared, the silver concorde swooping over the seekers. He was flanked by Air Raid and Skydive, F-15 and F-16 jets, respectively. They peppered their adversaries with ammunition and missiles, catching them off-guard.

The trapped Autobot ground forces took this opportunity to roll out, Hound and Bluestreak providing the cover fire this time around, driving in reverse at the group's flank.

Off in the distance, Fireflight and Slingshot had assisted Powerglide in a safe landing. Ratchet raced off in his alt mode, ready to provide first-aid to his fallen comrade. Once he had Powerglide securely aboard his paramedic van mode, Wheeljack and Bluestreak joined him on his return to ARK, running as escorts.

"Good work, Aerialbots," Optimus greeted as the final stragglers of the flight team joined the rest, "we're going to require your help further. This battle is far from over. We need Superion."

"Right away, Prime," Silverbolt acknowledged, "Aerialbots, you heard our leader! Combine to form-Superion!"

The five aircraft began the combining process. Skydive formed the left leg, as Air Raid formed the right. Silverbolt came next, forming everywhere from the hips to the head. Slingshot formed the left shoulder to left hand, Fireflight mirroring his formation on the right.

In the five Aerialbots' place stood Superion, a large, grey and red mech, capable of great damage.

No sooner had they completed this combination when Optimus Prime received a message from Jazz.

_"Optimus, Skywarp's reinforcements are on their way. It's Thundercracker, and some other mechs! I'm sorry, boss. We couldn't slow 'em down."_

"Don't worry about it. Return to ranks," Optimus ordered, "we'll fight them all here. Tell Prowl to call in the Protectobots."

_"Yes, sir!"_

The comm. frequency cut out, Optimus turning to the rest of his crew. "We have incoming. Autobots, take up defensive positions. Once the Decepticon reinforcements arrive, we'll need to draw as much of their fire away from Superion as possible."

"With any luck, he can swat 'em outta the sky." Ironhide grumbled.

"If he falls, Primus help us," Bumblebee sighed, "if it comes to that, it's going to be one heck of a day."

Thundercracker and his fleet arrived moments before Jazz's strike force was able to return. From the moment the blue F-15 came into view, it was pandemonium. Flanked by a clone of himself, as well as a clone of Starscream and Skywarp, not to mention an SR-71 Blackbird and a modified F-15, the seeker caused chaos beyond measure. His guns fired rapidly, followed by an audio-splitting sonic boom. His subordinates attacked alongside him, bullets and missiles raining down on Superion.

The Autobots spread out, reacting with a combination of return fire, and evasion. Trailbreaker deflected as many of the missiles as he could, his force field shielding many of his Autobot brethren. But, this left Superion vulnerable, the large combiner stumbling, swatting at the irritating Decepticons that blasted away at his thick armour.

Blaster and his cassette bots focused their fire on the Blackbird, the large jet spinning out of control as laser fire destroyed one of his engines, the metal twisting and grinding away from his wing painfully.

"Nice shot, fellas." Blaster flashed a thumbs up to Steeljaw and Eject, the two cassettes returning to his chassis. He watched the black aircraft increase speed, losing altitude fast.

_"Hurricane to Thundercracker,"_ the Decepticon hailed his Wing Commander frantically, _"I'm going down!"_

_"I've got you in my sights, Hurricane,"_ came the response, _"shift your dorsal and aft fins. It will slow your descent!"_

The F-15 pulled a tight loop, rushing to his subordinate's aid. _Damn it, I won't reach him in time…_

_"Thundercracker to Skywarp, I require your assistance. Teleport to Hurricane, and get under him. He's losing altitude!"_

_"I copy,"_ Skywarp confirmed, _"but get your afterburners in gear. I won't be able to save him on my own like that!"_

With that, he teleported, and wedged himself under the Blackbird's right wing. He throttled upward, slowing the momentum, but only infinitesimally.

"C'mon, 'Cracker," he gritted out from between clenched dentals, "I can't do this forever. _Jeez,_ kid, you weigh a ton…"

"My apologies, Commander. If it's any consolation, I'm not too thrilled about my mass currently, either," Hurricane remarked dryly, "it makes for messier impact."

Thundercracker reached them just then, managing to position himself under Hurricane's left wing. "Don't write yourself off just yet, 'Cane." He fired his thrusters to full power, Skywarp doing it simultaneously, due to a silent cue from his wing-mate. Their fall was slowed a great deal more than what could have been achieved with only one of them; but, it wasn't enough. All three braced themselves for impact, the two Wing Commanders taking the brunt of it.

They transformed to their proto-forms, gasping and rolling around in agony.

"Let's…_never_…do that…again." Hurricane wheezed.

You don't hear me arguing."

"Me, neither."

In the seconds it took for the seekers to crash land-regrettably intact, as Ironhide saw it-Superion had managed to offline all three of the seeker clones that had been under Thundercracker's command. However, all of Skywarp's recruits remained, along with Thundercracker's sole uninjured one. From the looks of things, they were far more combat-ready than the clones had been. Scorch marks marred the large combiner from head to pede, the large mech becoming both agitated and exhausted. The Aerialbots could only hold their combined formation for so long, and that time was drawing nigh.

"This could be trouble, Prime." Ironhide remarked soberly, still doing his best to knock the F-14 out of the air. The seeker recruit was proving to be a very skilled flier, and an even more infuriating target.

"We still outnumber them, old friend." Optimus replied, his tone reassuring. "We also have experience on our side." The Autobot leader was cut off by a string of shots that came from the modified F-15. He dodged, rolling to the side, his comrade doing likewise.

Ironhide provided cover fire as Optimus regained himself, the shorter red mech just barely dodging a string of shots set off by the Hornet.

"The thing you forgot, Prime, is that we're not as young as we use to be."

_~Meanwhile, on the other side of the Rainforest~_

Starscream swore viciously. Megatron and his forces vastly outnumbered his own fleet, including those under Shrapnel's command. Worse still, the Insecticon leader was showing signs of retreating.

The Air Commander tore through the sky, barrel-rolling to evade the twin missiles Dirge had just released on him. The blue modified F-15, thankfully, was dense, and no match for Starscream, himself.

Starscream warmed up his null-ray, blasting at Dirge as he passed above him. Much to his dismay, he missed his intended target. It would take a few minutes for the null-ray to be at firing power again; this left him quite vulnerable. Using laser fire wouldn't cut it; not against Dirge, at any rate. It would take more energy than Starscream was willing to put into it, given the fact that the battle was still raging on.

"Hang on, Commander!" Rainstorm flew in suddenly, firing on the blue jet's flank. She lined up her shot, releasing her missiles, hitting the mark perfectly.

Dirge cried out, and began spinning out of control. He faded from sight, but a resounding crash, followed by a bright explosion, confirmed that the seeker was out of the fight.

Starscream ascended to Rainstorm's altitude, his voice crackling over the comm. frequency, "That was a nice shot, soldier. It appears I did well in selecting you to be part of the Decepticon Elite."

"All in the line of duty, sir." The femme replied, her voice betraying gratitude at his commendation.

"Keep up the good work, and there may be a promotion in your future." Starscream declared coyly.

"T-Thank you, sir." The femme stammered. "What are your orders?"

"Focus your attack on Ramjet," the Air Commander replied, "he isn't particularly smart, but he is dangerous. He's known to kamikaze, in order to take his opponent down. Keep a sharp optic when you engage him. Call for assistance if you need it. Go!"

The Periwinkle, white, and silver F-15E Strike Eagle deviated from her course at his command, Starscream going the opposite way.

Meanwhile, Slicer, T-Clone 3 and S-Clone 1 were engaged in battle with Thrust, Reflector (in his three mech forms of Spector, Spyglass, and Viewfinder), and Soundwave.

The air was thick with weapon vapours, all combatants straining their optics to see the bot in front of them.

Megatron had ordered the Constructicons into the fray, the combiners forming the ever-feared Devastator. It was at this exact point that the Insecticons abandoned the fight, leaving Mach Three and Warp-Clone 3 in the middle of it all.

The clone was destroyed within seconds of this development, causing the lone F-16 to panic.

_"Starscream, our Insecticon brothers have pulled out!"_ he cried desperately, juking left as Devastator landed a blow on his aft end. He recovered quickly, deciding to jettison a safe distance from the gestalt.

_"_Just great," he heard the Air Commander growl, before hailing on all frequencies, "Decepticon Elite, Air Commander Starscream calling for all available reinforcements. I repeat, Skywarp, Thundercracker, get back here _immediately!"_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Within A Raging Storm

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Transformers. They are the property of Hasbro. I make no profit from this fanfiction. It exists for entertainment purposes only.**

_Author's Note: I came across typos in earlier chapters, so to any who noticed, I apologize, and they'll be fixed in due course. Now, on with the story._

_**Edit: Some minor modifications are being made to most (if not all) of my chapters leading up to 13. Like I have mentioned in previous chapter edits, nothing will be discarded, but rather built on. I apologize for the inconvenience, and thank my reviewers for their time. :)**_

Thundercracker, Skywarp, and Hurricane had barely recovered from their crash-landing when Starscream had called for back-up.

The two Wing Commanders and their subordinate rose painfully to their pedes, all three pairs of optics glancing over to where Pulse, Rapidfire, Stinger, and Dropzone were. The four aircraft juked south, heeding the Air Commander's call. In their wake, they left the battered Aerialbots, who had lost the energy required to sustain their Superion formation. Their fellow Autobots surrounded them, the Protectobots having finally arrived, as well. As Ratchet was still at Autobot headquarters with a wounded Powerglide, First Aid took his place in making the necessary repairs to the wounded mechs.

"We better get outta here," Skywarp declared, "don't want Star to have a spark attack." He rose into the air, still stiff, but able to transform. Thundercracker and Hurricane followed, the two F-15 Eagles and Blackbird firing their thrusters to maximum power. Fortunately, the Blackbird's engine hadn't been overly damaged, and had auto-repaired rather quickly.

"They're falling back," Tracks drawled, shielding his optics from the sun as it began to set.

"I just intercepted a transmission from Starscream," Prowl informed his fellow Autobots, "sounds like he was having some trouble of his own."

"So, Megatron has arrived, then." Optimus concluded, pinching the bridge of his nose wearily, a sigh passing through his lips silently, due to the mask on his faceplate.

"An all-out Decepticon war is far from what this planet needs." Jazz shook his head, frowning.

"Then we'd better get our tailpipes out there, and stop 'em." Ironhide growled, one servo clenched.

"Agreed," Optimus transformed to his alt mode, the rest of the Autobots following. "Roll out!"

The Autobot leader was more than a little worried. In all the solar cycles that had passed since the beginning of the war, he had never felt more exasperated than he did now. Fighting against Megatron had never been a pleasant experience; now, with the Decepticons divided into factions, it was absolute chaos.

There was nothing for it, though. The Autobots had no choice, but to get caught up in the power struggles of the Decepticon High Commander and his now-former second-in-command. _If we allow them to battle against each other, unchecked, they won't stop until the entire planet mirrors Cybertron. I cannot allow that to happen._

"Ratchet to Optimus Prime." The medic commed the Autobot leader as he and the rest of his charges set off toward where Megatron and Starscream's forces were battling on the far side of the Rainforest.

"Prime, here. What is it, Ratchet?"

"We received a message from Cybertron through Teletraan-One," Ratchet's voice held a hint of optimism; "it seems we have reinforcements coming."

"Explain."

"Elita-One, and her squadron, have hijacked the spacebridge from Shockwave, albeit temporarily. They wish to assist us in our battle."

_Elita-One,_ Optimus mused, _how I have missed you… _

It had been too long, since he had seen the femme he dearly loved. Some time ago, he had met with her again, joyous that she had not died as he originally had believed. Unfortunately, their reunion had been cut short, as the ever demure Elita-One and her troops had returned to Cybertron, intent on fighting the Decepticon forces that still resided there. Hearing that he would meet with her again made his spark skip, eager, yet fearful that he may actually lose her. He put these thoughts aside, deciding to reply to the the medic before he became anxious, lest he worry that his superior and friend had been hurt.

"Good work, Ratchet. Feed them the coordinates, and come back here as quickly as you can."

"Yes, sir." The comm. frequency cut out, and the group of Autobots slowed, having reached their destination.

They changed to their proto-forms, casting wary glances overhead and all around them. They had stopped a short distance from where they could see the ensuing battle, noting that the seekers they'd followed had already joined the fray.

"Your orders, Optimus?" Prowl approached the larger blue and red mech tentatively.

"Stay alert, and engage."

The soldiers spread out in groups; Cliffjumper, Mirage, Hound, and Warpath in one group. Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Inronhide, Blaster, Tracks, and the Aerialbots in another. This left Optimus with Jazz, Prowl, Bumblebee, and the Protectobots. Still, more reinforcements would come, aside from the femmes.

No sooner had the factions begun their descent to where Megatron's ground forces were, when a sputtering of laser fire rained down around them. Most managed to dodge the attack, while others merely staggered.

Looking up, Optimus caught sight of Skywarp and Thundercracker, both swooping over the Autobots menacingly.

"Stay out of it, Autobums!" Skywarp snarled, showering them with more laser fire.

Optimus returned fire, the squad under him doing likewise. The two jets looped and rolled, evading their attacks with ease.

"Protectobots, combine to form Defensor!" Optimus ordered. The five combiners complied, forming the large, defense-fortified gestalt that had earned its name.

"Aerialbots, provide cover fire!" Optimus bellowed, "The rest of you, follow me!"

"You heard him," Jazz barked, "move out!"

_I hope the femmes make it in time…_ The black and white mech thought worriedly. He knew only too well how they surpassed the mechs with their sharp-shooting. Especially with all the trouble Shockwave had given them.

The terrain made for a dangerous battlefield; it was riddled with overgrowth, with swamp in some areas, and overly rocky in others. Still, what it lacked in proper footing, it made up for in cover.

In the centre of the battle, Defensor blasted ruthlessly upon any Decepticon unfortunate enough to get in his sights.

The Decepticon forces, however, both those under Megatron, and Starscream's Elite-were holding their own quite well, despite this.

Megatron led his ground forces, roaring orders as he blasted every Autobot within range. Soundwave had ejected nearly all his Cassetticons, Ravage, Rumble, and Frenzy causing the most trouble for the Autobots. The latter two engaged their pile-drivers, quaking the earth beneath everyone's pedes, Autobot and Decepticon alike stumbling about, others getting stuck in the swamp.

Overhead, Starscream's fleet was occupied with Defensor and Megatron's air forces. So far, all sides were holding up well, only sporting minor injuries.

Thundercracker and Skywarp were busy with Astrotrain, the two F-15 jets peppering him with laser fire, the Triple Changer transforming from his shuttle form to his proto-form in midair. He landed heavily on Skywarp's canopy, the jet shuddering under the larger mech's weight.

"Get off of me." Skywarp growled, doing his best to shake him off.

"Hang in there, 'Warp. I'm coming!" Thundercracker exclaimed. He swooped in close, evading Astrotrain's attempt to blast him out of the sky. _If I'm going to get him off of Skywarp, I'm going to have to be really careful with this shot…_ He locked on to the large grey and purple Decepticon, preparing to launch his missiles.

_"Skywarp,"_ he said to his trine mate through their shared link,_ "when I give the word, teleport out from under Astrotrain."_

_"I gotcha."_

_Three…two…one…_ Thundercracker did a mental countdown, shouting, _"Now!"_ to Skywarp.

He launched his missiles, and at the same moment that they made impact with Astrotrain's bulky hide, Skywarp disappeared from beneath him, reappearing next to Thundercracker. In a swift motion, he half-transformed, grasped Thundercracker's wing, and teleported the pair of them a safe distance from the blast.

Astrotrain hurtled toward the ground, saving himself at the last minute by resuming his shuttle mode. He skipped across the rocky mountainside where he'd landed, the sound of screeching metal echoing throughout the rainforest.

"Think we did him in?" Skywarp asked hopefully.

"Not a chance," Thundercracker snorted, "that pompous scrap pile will be back on his pedes in no time."

"Megatron has us outnumbered," Skywarp lamented, "what are we supposed to do?"

"Keep fighting, and hope to Primus we get out of this still online." Was the grim reply.

As far as Rainstorm could see, there was no end in sight for the battle. All three sides-Autobot, Decepticon, and the Elite-sported either wounds, or full-out casualties. As she fired on Ramjet, she wondered absently if she was on the right side. She most certainly had no intentions of allying herself with Megatron; from what she had witnessed, he was a mech of brutality, and this didn't sit well with her. She understood little about the Autobots. In fact, neither the Wing Commanders, nor the Air Commander, himself, had bothered to explain _why_ the Autobots and Decepticons opposed one another.

As she swerved and rolled to avoid Ramjet's counter-attack, she had to conclude that, whatever the Autobot's ideals were in entirety, they must basically, at the very least, oppose everything that Megatron and his soldiers stood for. _If that's the case, they really don't seem like such a bad lot, but…_

She sighed. Though the Air Commander appeared to be power-hungry, Rainstorm couldn't help thinking that, despite this, he was a good mech too, deep down. _Maybe his thirst has more to do with acknowledgement, rather than power…_

Her musings were interrupted as Ramjet attempted to knock her out of the air with his body. He transformed, grasping the Strike Eagles' dorsals, weighing her tail-end down.

"Now you're in trouble, sweetheart." He chuckled darkly, his bulk shifting as she tried to unseat him. He slipped, flailing slightly, his legs coming into contact with her afterburners, the metal on his ankles beginning to singe.

He let out a yelp of both pain and surprise, and released her. Rainstorm regained her altitude, the white mech falling, twisting in midair. The sound of gears grinding as he transformed back into a modified F-15 was painful to her audio receptors.

She took this opportunity to give him everything she had, her missiles colliding and exploding on impact, the white seeker spiralling toward the tree tops, flames leaping from his wings and canopy. He crash-landed, still intact, and as Rainstorm watched, she noticed that one of his wing-mates, Thrust, broke off with his dogfight with Stinger to go to his comrade's aid.

Stinger made to follow the red fighter jet, but Rainstorm cut him off. "Let him go, Stinger."

"What? Are you out of your CPU? This is the perfect cha-"

"I just took his friend out," she interrupted, "neither one of them is going to give us anymore trouble."

"We have orders!" he protested, his voice venomous. Who was this _femme_ to give him orders contradictory to those of their Commanders'?

"Frag the orders," she snapped, ""I'm going to have a word with Starscream. There has to be a better way to win this battle."

The F/A-18 had no intentions of taking orders from Rainstorm. As soon as she began her search for Starscream among the ensuing chaos, he continued on his trajectory toward where Thrust and Ramjet had landed. _She is not my Commander, _he seethed,_ only our three leaders can give me orders._ The bot was prideful, but he also lacked the initiative and cognitive faculties to be a leader, himself.

As he descended into the thick foliage, he was caught off-guard by a violet and white tank. Without a word passed between them, Stinger was bombarded by the tank's heavy artillery.

Unable to control himself, he reverted to his proto-form, crashing painfully to the undergrowth.

He let out a moan of pain, writhing as his adversary stood over him, whom had also transformed.

Stinger looked up at his assailant, red optics boring into equally red optics, the seeker's gleaming with a hint of defiance.

"How would you like a chance to redeem yourself?" Blitzwing asked, his weapon aimed steadily at the mech before him.

"I'd rather _die_ than work for Megatron! I will never betray my Commanders!"

"Your Commanders betrayed _their_ Commander," Blitzwing laughed contemptuously, "I do not speak of working _for_ Megatron. I speak of working _with_ me."

The differentiation was made perfectly clear; he wouldn't be an underling, but a partner, instead.

Stinger pondered this a moment longer, and nodded his head stiffly. "What is our initiative?"

"Astrotrain and I are rallying troops to our cause," Blitzwing replied, "and our cause is to overthrow Megatron-_our way_. Come with me, and I will make it far clearer."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Secret Weapon Revealed

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Transformers. They are the property of Hasbro. The only characters that I own are: Dropzone, Rapidfire, Pulse, Slicer, Mach Three, Rainstorm, Hurricane, and Stinger. This fanfiction is purely for entertainment purposes ONLY.**

_Author's Note: It should also be noted that I've incorporated some other Transformers into the fray, such as Glyph, whom was not in the G1 series, but in the IDW comics, or other Transformers verses. It's a likelihood that other characters that weren't in G1 (or who were incorporated on a limited basis, such as Sixshot) might also make an appearance. Just throwing it out there. :) _

Without further ado…

_**Edit: As with previous chapters, some edit work has been done to this one. Nothing has been removed, but more detail has been added. Not all chapters will necessarily receive these modifications. I apologize for not doing this earlier, and thank my reviewers for their patience. :)**_

Megatron's scarlet optics swept over the helms of his troops, quickly analyzing the situation before him. Dirge had been destroyed. Ramjet was wounded, with Thrust refusing to leave his brother to his own devices. He didn't know where Blitzwing was, and Astrotrain had all but vanished. Megatron had known the Triple Changer had taken damage, but he was certain he was still online. He could feel every mech on the ground and in the air, and could identify their spark signatures. He could even sense their allegiances. Already, Starscream's Decepticon signature differed from what it had felt like when he was under Megatron's command, though only slightly. Though the large grey mech was aggressive and dangerous, he had built camaraderie with all his subordinates. Starscream had been no different, but with each failure, and with each bid for power, and the betrayal that instigated, Megatron too, had become more power-hungry. He wasn't one to relinquish his power, and so, he defended it against Starscream fiercely. Thus, any comradeship they had attained was evaporating quickly.

Idly, Megatron wondered if he was at fault; after all, Starscream was-or rather, had been- his second-in-command. He had spent too much time not allowing him to function fully in that role, too much time underestimating him, belittling him. An inaudible sigh escaped his lip components.

_It matters not. Not now. I will not relinquish my position to someone who is ill-equipped to fill it, _Megatron decided. _Even if his being ill-equipped is partly my doing._

Dodging out from behind the boulder he was using for cover, he fired on the two Autobots who were slowly approaching him. Both Autobots evaded his attack, and Megatron noted with surprise that one of them was a femme. She was teal, with a very slight frame.

"Chromia, be careful!" Ironhide shouted, both he and the femme returning fire on the tyrant.

"Aw, shove it, ya big macho-bot!" Chromia jested, one of her laser bolts hitting Megatron's shoulder.

He growled, It had stung, but not horribly so. He deked behind the boulder again, deciding to fire on them from the opposite side. He levelled his fusion cannon, narrowly missing Ironhide's exposed right side.

Sixshot deigned to come to Megatron's aid, the Six Changer first attacking as a wolf, then twisting mid-air into a jet.

Chromia and Ironhide split up, firing at both Decepticons as they did.

Soundwave appeared behind them, landing on the cliff's edge with lithe movements. He pressed the eject button on his chassis, releasing Overkill, Slugfest, and Ratbat.

"Firestar, Glyph," Chromia shouted into her comm. "We need back up!"

"We'll get there as fast as we can," came the reply, "but we've got problems of our own."

Firestar transformed, Glyph following suit. They were flanked by Red Alert and Bumblebee, also in their alternate forms. The four Autobots veered as Devastator pounded after them, his footfalls deafening as he tried to catch his quarry.

"This has gotten so far out of hand," Glyph remarked, shunting Bumblebee to the side as Devastator's pede almost crushed him, "between all of the combiner teams, and the 'cons fighting amongst themselves, I'd be amazed if we're still online by the end of this!"

"I won't," Bumblebee replied, carefully lining up a shot with his gun, which sat atop the VW Beetle's roof currently, "We're all still here, whereas some of the Decepticons have already fallen." He released a string of shots, all in rapid succession, each hitting the gestalt squarely in his chest. Devastator fell apart, the Constructicon's voices a cacophony of both rage and surprise.

"You'll pay for that, Autobot!" Scrapper roared, shaking his fist at their retreating backs.

Bumblebee snorted, Red Alert and the femmes chuckling appreciatively. Once reaching Chromia and Ironhide, however, their sunny moods were darkened. Megatron, Sixshot, Soundwave, and his casseticons, surrounded them. Both Autobots looked haggard, energon leaking from various wounds upon their arms, legs, and chassis.

"Surrender," Megatron demanded, "and your lives may be spared!"

"Never," Chromia hissed, gripping her arm, which bled profusely, "I'd rather be scrapped!"

"Such a shame," Megatron said softly, "every Cybertronian life lost is a waste. So be it-"

Before he could act, Bumblebee attacked, his gun blazing. Glyph followed, and soon, too, did Red Alert .The white and red Lamborghini launched himself at the large, grey mech, while Firestar launched herself at Soundwave. Sixshot's fist collided with Bumblebee's shoulder, the smaller, yellow mech reeling from the impact. He recovered quickly, upper-cutting the Six Changer just as he transformed into a wolf.

Sixshot grunted, and then tackled Bumblebee, the two landing with a resounding crash, their limbs flailing.

Glyph was preoccupied with Overkill and Slugfest, the two dinosaur cassetticons no match for her tactical prowess and speed. As they both spat laser fire at her, she leapt from side-to-side, taking careful aim mid-stride, hitting them both right between the optics.

Soundwave gripped Firestar by one arm, and flung her over his shoulder, the femme crashing to the earth at his feet with a groan. He took this moment not to attack her further, but to reclaim the two injured cassettes. He would have to repair them later; for now, he must keep fighting.

"Ratbat, run diversion." He ordered. The robotic bat obliged. He harassed both femmes, swooping low, pecking, and firing with his mouth cannon. They twisted and weaved, trying to train their weapons on the swift cassette.

"He's too fast. My targeting system can't lock on!" Firestar said between gritted dentals.

From there, things got sticky. Starscream, flanked by Thundercracker, Skywarp, Hurricane, and Mach Three, arrived. This distracted both the Autobots and Megatron's troops from their battle with each other, all optics narrowed suspiciously at the seekers.

"Yield, Megatron." Starscream stated loftily, "and you may live to serve me."

"Even if_ you_ were to yield," Megatron rejoined, "the same cannot be said for you!"

He opened his comm. frequency to the Constructicons then, and snarled, "Scrapper, it is time! Summon Trypticon!"

"Surely you jest, Megatron," the Air Commander scoffed, "Trypticon may be powerful, but he is easily thwarted, and uses copious amounts of energon!"

"This is just the beginning, Starscream," Megatron declared, once having received Scrapper's confirmation. "Trypticon has been upgraded. Soon, you will realize just how powerful he is."

Megatron then called all other Decepticons through his comm. to return to his coordinates. This baffled the Autobots they had been battling, but Optimus realized Megatron was setting the stage for the final assault. He ordered all his soldiers to do the same.

As Autobot and Decepticon forces alike, fell in, so too did Starscream's Elite. Even amongst enemies, no one was attacking. They were following honour-bound protocol, and would not strike until ordered to do so by their superiors.

On one side, Optimus, flanked by thirty-three Autobots, femmes, Aerialbots, and Protectobots included.

On the other side; Megatron, with thirty-two. This included Combiner teams, and Soundwave's cassettes. Though wounded, Ramjet was still determined to fight, with Thrust by his side.

None of Starscream's forces dared to touch-down. As they lazily passed overhead, the Air Commander became acutely aware that they were seriously outnumbered. He also noted that Stinger was missing_. There are only thirteen of us. Where did that mech go?_ He thought frantically. It was then that he realized the F/A-18 had defected. He could sense his signature faintly, but couldn't tell where his allegiances lay-aside from not with the Elite. With a quick scan, Starscream could tell he wasn't among the Autobot or Decepticon factions.

He then felt the signatures of two other, very familiar mechs. _The Triple Changers! _With a sharp intake through his vents, he realized Stinger had formed an alliance with Blitzwing and Astrotrain_. It looks like they're attempting another revolt against Megatron, themselves. _He mused, snorting in derision. Knowing how self-absorbed Astrotrain was, he surmised it must have been his idea, with Blitzwing just going along for the ride.

Starscream relayed this information to his seekers through their channel, each replying with surprise and mild disgust.

"We'll really have to be on our guard, then. The Triple Changers can't be trusted." Skywarp warned.

"Remember when they hoodwinked even you, Star?" Thundercracker asked.

"Do not remind me." Starscream grumbled. He hadn't forgotten how the two Triple Changers had manipulated him into a rebellion against Megatron, only to use him as a diversion for their own short-lived rebellion. "Now, even the Combaticons are allied with Megatron."

Starscream had salvaged the Combaticons from Cybertron; they had been criminal defects, and thus, their personality components had been locked away. The Air Commander had sought to use them against Megatron during one of his many attempted mutinies. This, evidently, had failed. _Miserably._

"And now, one of our own recruits has betrayed us," Skywarp added bitterly, "do you think we'll need to keep closer optics on the lot of 'em?"

"I assure you, Commander" Rainstorm spoke then, "the rest of us will not fail you as that _traitor_ has." She spat venomously.

The other recruits murmured in agreement, all optics filled with determination.

"If any do," Rainstorm continued in a threatening undertone, "I shall deal with them-_personally_."

"Your sentiment is appreciated," Thundercracker replied in an even tone. He switched over to the trine's private frequency, and chuckled, _"I don't know about you guys, but I like this femme!"_

_"Don't bother, TC. 'Screamer is more in her tastes."_ Skywarp snorted.

Starscream vented. If he hadn't been in his alt mode, he would have rolled his optics in exasperation. _"If you two cackling hens are done gossiping, we have a bit of a problem."_

They opened their channels back up to the rest of the Elite, all jets passing over the heads' of their enemies in a tight "V" formation.

"Our forces are vastly outnumbered," Starscream informed them. Not that they _needed_ informing. "Not only has Stinger betrayed us, I am now picking up two other spark signatures. Those of two clones we previously thought dead. They appear to be allied with the Triple Changers, as well."

"What are your orders?" Slicer asked eagerly from Starscream's far left, as the Commander held point in their formation.

"Evade Trypticon to your full extent. Focus all your firepower on the Combiner teams. The Autobots will likely split their forces between us and Megatron."

Thundercracker, like before, picked up where Starscream left off, the blue jet acting as his wing-man on the left, Skywarp on the right. "Slicer, your job will be to jam communications," Thundercracker declared.

"Yes sir. If you wish, I will also attempt to hack the Combiner's frequencies."

"Wait-can you _control_ them in gestalt form?" Thundercracker was caught off-guard by the grey F-14's statement.

"If my hacking is successful? Yes."

"Then yes, we wish it." Thundercracker continued giving orders; he assigned Slicer's twin, Rapidfire, to run diversion with S-Clone and Warp-Clone 1, and T-Clone 3.

"Skywarp, if you please." Thundercracker addressed his wing-mate.

Skywarp grinned inwardly. Though he had always been friends with Starscream, and particularly Thundercracker, he had never been shown this level of respect. Since their newfound alliance, however, their friendship had become more than just professionalism; his trine actually_ trusted_ him with decisions, and had faith in his combative expertise.

"Pulse, I want you to do everythin' you can to knock out Trypticon with an EMP blast. He won't go down easily, but Hurricane and I will cover for you."

"I'll do my best." Pulse promised in a raspy voice.

"We trust that you will."

Starscream resumed command, then. "Dropzone and Mach Three, you will make life as inconvenient for the ground-pounders as possible. Meanwhile, Rainstorm will accompany Thundercracker and myself. I happen to know that Megatron hasn't brought out his most powerful weapon, yet. Our mission will be to find it, and destroy it before he has a chance."

"No disrespect meant, Commander, but we're outnumbered as is. We'll be slag without you here!" Rapidfire protested, his voice pleading.

"I assure you, every last Cybertronian-along with this planet-will be destroyed if we don't dismantle that weapon."

"If what you say is true-and I have no doubt that it is," Rapidfire went on hastily, sensing the Air Commander's impatience, "then Megatron intends to offline himself, along with his army…just to destroy _us? _That's completely _insane!_"

"That's where you are wrong," Starscream said calmly, "Megatron has access to a spacebridge. He and his forces will evacuate before the weapon goes off."

This silenced the red and silver mech, who then slipped into fearful contemplation. An uneasy silence settled over the rest of the seekers.

"Permission to speak, Commander." Rainstorm broke the silence finally.

"Permission granted."

"As the battle has not commenced, I have thought of an alternate course of action we can take. Perhaps…we can form an alliance with the Autobots?"

"Your processor must have gotten rattled in battle," Pulse rasped, "They're our enemies!"

"No, she may be on to something," Starscream interjected before the two could get into a heated discussion, "we share a common enemy, and a common goal. Since Megatron's weapon threatens the earth, and the humans the Autobots care so much about, they would be foolish not to form an alliance with us. It would increase their chances of saving the planet."

"Wait, Star. If we give them this information, they could just as easily double-cross us, and get rid of the weapon, themselves." Thundercracker pointed out.

"The Autobots are far more honour-bound than we are. They will not sink to deception. They leave that to us." Starscream commented dryly.

After weighing their options, it was decided; they would try to persuade the Autobots to a temporary alliance. Starscream broke off from the group. "Hold formation. I'm going to have a word with Optimus Prime."

As the F-15 dropped lower, he remained wary of both factions. Most, by some fortune, were too deeply involved in discussing strategy to pay him any mind. The few Decepticons who saw him approaching Optimus Prime jeered, while the few Autobots resolved to glower at him.

Megatron remained silent and speculative. A slight smirk played upon his lip components, and he thought wryly, _So, he has deigned to form an alliance with the Autobots-just as I knew he would._

Megatron was not as ignorant as Starscream believed; the High Commander knew full well that the seeker had discerned exactly what the weapon was. Given the fact that he had originally sent him and his trine out to retrieve it, he found it amusing that Starscream had not taken it into consideration that Megatron knew that_ he_ knew. The one thing the Air Commander was unaware of was, however,_ where_ the weapon was hidden.

_And it will remain so._ Megatron returned his gaze to his own charges, silencing them. It was time to take action. Trypticon had arrived.

Stinger regarded Blitzwing and Astrotrain in bemusement. T-Clone and S-Clone 2-much to his surprise after he'd been recruited by the Triple Changers-were still alive, and fully restored.

"They didn't require extensive repairs," Blitzwing said in reply to Stinger's questioning glances, "a little touch-up here, some tweaking of their personality chips there, and here they are."

_So, they have been modified to obey. _Stinger concluded. He was beginning to feel uneasy.

"How can five of us take on all the others at once? They'll blast us to Vector Sigma!" He exclaimed, his vocal processor hitching with panic.

"Having second thoughts?" Astrotrain sneered, his optics locking with the others'. The Triple Changer was more shrewd than he appeared.

"N-No, I just-" Stinger stammered, waving his hands in front of him weakly.

"Good," Astrotrain cut him off sharply, his optics still burning into Stinger's own, "because you wouldn't want to betray us, now, would you?"

"That would make us mad, and you wouldn't like that, seeker." Blitzwing snickered, eyeing Stinger reproachfully.

"Of c-course not," Stinger insisted, "I only meant…I just don't see how…"

"Worry not," Blitzwing clapped a hand companionably on his shoulder, but all it did was cause a shiver down his spine, "we happen to have something _very_ powerful at our disposal."

Stinger looked between both Triple Changers expectantly. Astrotrain smirked.

"Megatron was foolish to let his soldiers know where it was hidden," he explained, his voice taking on the air of superiority, "but, I suppose he didn't think we'd defect on him again, like that fool Starscream does, over and over."

"What did he let you know? Where _what_ is hidden?" despite his reservations, Stinger couldn't contain his curiosity.

"Megatron has a weapon that will destroy all who oppose him, including this planet. He'll have it set to destroy the Autobots, Starscream-everything-and he and his forces will evacuate beforehand, via a spacebridge."

Blitzwing released his grip on Stinger's shoulder, and went on. "But, we're not going to give him the chance. You see, _we're_ going to use it."

"You can't mean…we're going to destroy them _all?_" Stinger stood, his pedes frozen in place. He gaped, completely aghast.

_All of them…gone…_

He couldn't wrap his processor around it. He may have defected, but he had only done so in a moment of weakness. He didn't want to offline them; not even the irritating femme, Rainstorm.

"What did you think we were going to do," Blitzwing snorted in disgust, "have a tea party with them?"

"I'll ask you again, seeker," Astrotrain's voice boomed menacingly, his weapon cocked in Stinger's face, "are you with us, or against us?"

Stinger met his gaze evenly, but then dropped it; defeated. "I'm with you." The words were barely audible, but this seemed to placate them.

"Good choice. Clones, bring out the weapon," Astrotrain commanded, "set up the Apocalypse cannon!"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: The Beginning of the End

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Transformers. They are the property of Hasbro. The only characters I own are the previously mentioned OC's. See full disclaimer in first and subsequent chapters. **

_Author's Note: This chapter may be longer than previous ones. I had a ve_r_y hard time stopping. :D I think I was having too much fun writing the battle sequences. I hope this chapter is enjoyable. It should also be noted, once again, that this is loosely following the actual G1 Transformers plotline. For the most part, though, I recreated some of the concepts. Thus, characters that didn't come in until later may be present, and characters that may have disappeared before now may still be present. Regardless, I hope you find this entertaining._

_**Edit: As I've stated in previous chapters, most-if not all- chapters leading up to chapter 13 will undergo editting. Nothing will be removed, but more detail will be added. From chapter 13 on, I will have a beta reader helping me. Thanks to all of you who have reviewed, and I apologize for the inconvenience.**_

_Here we go…_

"Do you know where this weapon is?" Optimus gazed at Starscream evenly, the other not recoiling in the slightest; it seemed, after all he'd endured under Megatron's command, he'd grown quite immune to intimidation.

_Not that Prime himself, is trying to intimidate me._ The seeker mentally noted. The majority of his troops, however, were; particularly his Head of Security and Tactician. Ironhide didn't bother to hide his displeasure, and contented himself with cracking his knuckles, his azure optics narrowed. Prowl merely frowned, his arms crossed over his chest in distrust.

Starscream eyed the red mech, then the black and white one. Satisfied that they wouldn't act without Prime's say-so, he returned his attention to the Autobot Commander.

"No, we never did learn of its actual whereabouts."

"How do we know you're not lying?" Prowl countered, optics narrowed.

"Do you recall the time you thwarted my trine and I, when we tried to steal a particular weapon?"

"What about it?" Ironhide growled. He didn't trust Starscream as far as he could throw him. Well, he trusted him much _less_ than that, to be fair.

"Well, as it turns out, Megatron was able to get his hands on the weapon's schematics. He built his own-or rather, he had the Constructicons build it-from scratch."

"And how are we to know that you're not lying about that, either?" Prowl persisted, turning to his leader, "Optimus, he cannot be trusted. Even if he no longer works for Megatron, he is _still _our enemy! He'd tell us anything, if it meant overthrowing Megatron!"

"Can you really afford to take that chance?" Starscream retorted. "I have provided you with information that is vital to the survival of your precious flesh creatures-information that can help save us _all_!"

"Before anyone could interrupt, Optimus held up a hand. "Starscream is right; we cannot gamble on the Earth's survival. For the sake of protecting the Earth and the humans on it, we will form a temporary alliance with Starscream's fleet."

"But Prime-" Jazz began, the saboteur frowning in uncertainty.

Optimus continued as if there had been no interruption. "We will not be fighting your war for you. We will take no orders from you; the only purpose of our alliance is to back down Megatron's forces, and destroy that weapon. I will not let my soldiers take part in your power struggle."

Both Optimus and Starscream fell silent, each sizing the other up, scanning for a potential double-cross. Once both were satisfied, they shook hands.

"I accept your terms, Optimus Prime."

Ratchet came forward just then, barely concealing the anticipation in his optics.

"Optimus, I sense the Decepticons are prepared for battle. Trypticon has arrived."

"My seekers and I have a strategy for defeating him, though this _will_ prove difficult."

"Stick with your strategy, then. We shall assist in any way that we can." Optimus replied. It wasn't as though they had much of a choice; Trypticon was a danger to _all_ of them, not just Starscream and his Elite.

Starscream relayed his success in his negotiations with the Autobots to his team, ordering them to mobilize.

All confirmed they had heard his orders-all, except for Rainstorm.

As he took to the air, he opened up his private link with his trine mates.

_"Where is Rainstorm?"_

_"She broke formation,"_ was Thundercracker's reply, _"I tried to order her back, but her comm. frequency was off."_

_"What?"_ Starscream was incredulous. _What in pit was she playing at, turning her communicator off?_

_"We dunno, Star. But, she __**was**__ mutterin' something about picking up a foreign signature."_ Skywarp answered, his voice sounding strained. _"I could've sworn she mentioned Stinger, too…"_

_Frag._

The energon in Starscream's fuel lines threatened to freeze up. _If Rainstorm goes after Stinger and the Triple Changers alone, she doesn't stand a chance._

No. He wouldn't let that happen.

_"I'm going after her. What was her trajectory?"_ he demanded.

_"North-west,"_ Thundercracker replied, beginning to protest, _"Starscream, you can't leave! We're just starting the assault!"_

_"You and Skywarp take command in my absence,"_ he instructed,_ "I have to go after her. I will not let another die while in my charge." Especially not a fighting ace like her. _She had saved him, after all. Even if he refused to say it out loud.

Thundercracker sighed over the link. _"Alright. I'll inform the Autobots, then."_

_"Stick with the plan, TC, and everything will be fine. And keep me informed."_ Starscream added hastily. He fired up his thrusters, leaving the battle in his wing-mates' hands.

As he watched the Air Commander fade into the distance, Thundercracker vented in resignation. He didn't regret the alliance he had formed with his seeker 'brothers'. On the contrary, it was the most revitalizing thing he'd ever done. He had felt-being under Megatron's rule for so long-that things were becoming stagnant. It had been meta-cycles since he'd felt so alive. Heck, it had been _vorns!_

No, what bothered the seeker was the knowledge that they might not come out of this, _at all._

He scolded himself. _There's no time for self-pity. There will be plenty of that when the battle is over. Well, if we survive, that is..._

With that, he and Skywarp took the lead, throttling toward their foes.

Slicer hurtled toward the Constructicons, swooping low over each one of them.

Unbeknownst to the combiner team, he was scanning them, so that he would be able to hack their defenses.

Hook tried to snag the seeker out of the air with his crane, but only succeeded in scratching the steel grey F-14's paint job. Some of the black and white from his stripes wore away, but no real damage befell him.

Slicer tilted his fins minutely, evading further complications. This didn't stop the Constructicons from taking aim at him, however. Scavenger, similarly to Hook, tried to knock the jet out of the air with his shovel. The other combiners were content to just shout at the F-14, which was fine by him.

_Come on, just a little more…got it!_

Slicer executed a barrel-roll, followed by a vertical climb away from the green and violet mechs below.

"Get back here, you coward!" Long Haul roared.

_Come on, you scrap heaps. Do it. You know you want to! _Slicer thought impatiently, keeping his distance from them.

With an indignant roar, the Constructicons formed Devastator, the gestalt stumbling about in bewilderment. Sparks flew from the joints, signifying that Slicer's hacking had been successful. The gestalt was now under his control.

Thundercracker joined his subordinate then, bellowing encouragement. "Well done, Slicer! Now, order him to attack Trypticon!"

Slicer acknowledged, sending the large mech to do his bidding.

As large as Devastator was, he was still smaller than Trypticon. _But, he'll stand a better chance against that battle platform than we will. _Thundercracker concluded, watching as the gestalt battered the large reptilian mech with ferocity.

The Protectobots had also combined into Defensor, giving assistance to Devastator.

Thundercracker made a pass, deciding to check on the rest of the Elite.

As ordered prior to the alliance forged with the Autobots, Rapidfire and the clones were running decoy. They were infuriating many of the ground-pounders, when one of them suddenly took to the air. This surprised the Red F-14, to say the least.

_He's no mere ground-pounder,_ he realized, _he's just like one of those Triple Changers!_

It wasn't Blitzwing or Astrotrain, of that he was certain. The mech pursuing him was known as Octane, whom currently transformed from a tank truck to a Boeing KC-135. Thrust and Ramjet flanked him, all three closing in on the Elite seekers.

"This…could…be…trouble." Mumbled S-Clone 1.

Rapidfire squawked in surprised, almost losing control of his thrusters. None of the clones had ever spoken, before this point, and certainly _not_ a full sentence!

"You can _talk?_"

"Yes."

"Why haven't you before?" Rapidfire demanded, swerving to avoid Octane's attack.

"No…reason…to." The clone replied.

Before Rapidfire could respond further, Ramjet slammed into the Starscream clone. The jet flipped end-over-end, looking for all the world like it was doing a cart-wheel in mid-air. It slammed into the ground, a wing snapping off in the process. Glass shattered from the cockpit, the fuselage creaking as it began tearing away with an agonizing screech of metal. This was punctuated by a deafening explosion. Thrust had launched a missile, just as the fuselage broke off.

S-Clone 1 was no more.

Rapidfire twisted hard to avoid the flying debris, feeling numb as he looked at the F-15's remains.

He heard a choked sound from his left; it had come from T-Clone 3, the vibrant pink jet shuddering noticeably.

"We…are…nothing…but fodder." He lamented.

Rapidfire could hear great sadness in his vocal processor. "It isn't true," he insisted desperately, "you're just as important as any other member of the Elite!"

Warp-Clone 1 let out a morose sob. Neither clone said anything else to the F-14. Rapidfire wanted to console them, but there was no time for that. There was a war to be fought, and by Primus, he was going to make their enemies pay.

"Commander Thundercracker, Commander Skywarp," Rapidfire hailed both Wing Commanders, "we have lost S-Clone 1."

Both swore from their individual positions in battle.

_"There's nothin' more you can do for him, now."_ Skywarp replied ruefully. _"Continue your assault, and try to keep the rest of your team from getting' blown up."_

"Yes sir." Rapidfire signed off, twisting through the air sharply. He sent a barrage of rounds at the modified white fighter jet, trying to deter him from his latest victim, Warp-Clone 1.

His shots had barely fazed Ramjet, the F-15 closing in on the inverted violet and black jet.

"He's on your tail," Rapidfire snarled, "take evasive action!"

"We are…worthless." The clone didn't even bother to manoeuvre away from his pursuer.

"No, you're not! Move your aft, or you'll _die!_" Rapidfire roared.

Unfortunately, Thrust took this opportune moment to lock onto the other clone.

Rapidfire began to panic. _Sweet Prima and Primus, help me! _He begged silently. He did his best to fire on both of the modified F-15s, shouting at the clones to save themselves.

Neither, of them were intent on living, it seemed. Rapidfire felt a mixture of guilt, anger, and helplessness engulfing him. To complicate things further, Octane was now closing in on _him._

"Just great." He muttered to himself.

With renewed determination, he went into a barrel-roll, snapping out of it as he deked under the KC-135. He throttled upward; levelling himself out, so that he was now on Octane's aft, instead of the other way around. He launched his attack, sending the Triple Changer plummeting to the ground below. He was down, but not out.

But, Rapidfire didn't have time to focus on the matter; both clones were still in peril, and he refused to let them go down without a fight.

"Please, fight back!" He implored them. "You aren't worthless. I need your help! The whole team needs you!"

"Only as…shields, not…as…friends." T-Clone 3 said accusingly, beginning to descend as Thrust peppered holes through his wings.

"If that were true, I'd leave you both to die, and save my own aft!" Rapidfire reasoned, desperation creeping into his voice. He continued to alternate between attacking Thrust and Ramjet, sending a missile at each of them.

Both managed to dodge the attack, and continued to harass the clones mercilessly.

After an agonizing klik, Warp-Clone 1 seemed to have taken Rapidfire's words into consideration. He pulled into a vertical climb, and then dropped below Thrust. With a twist, he transformed, grasping his opponent's under-belly.

"Get off of me!" Thrust growled menacingly, unable to hold the clone's weight. Just as they were both about to crash, Warp-Clone 1 released his grip, and teleported.

The red F-15 exploded on impact, his rudders sheering off as fire consumed the rest of him.

Rapidfire averted his gaze. Despite it having been an enemy, it was no less horrifying to the optics.

He turned his attention to T-Clone 3, noting with surprise that both clones were _now_ chasing Ramjet.

Suppressing a relieved chuckle, he called the pair of them back. "Let him flee," he ordered, "I very much doubt he will be giving us anymore problems."

Both clones did as directed, regrouping with the crimson F-14.

"Thank you…for helping…us." Warp-Clone 1 said.

"We are…sorry…for causing you…trouble." The pink F-15 added, shame evident in his voice.

"There's no need," Rapidfire replied airily, "now, let's say we give the rest of _them_ something to be sorry about."

_~Meanwhile~_

Skywarp rapidly fired on Trypticon, Hurricane following his lead. The large reptilian mech roared, swiping at the aircraft furiously, his own guns countering.

Both the F-15 and the SR-71 Blackbird swerved, splitting off from one another just in the nick of time. Two missiles collided with each other where they had just been, the heat of the explosion searing some of Trypticon's paint.

The massive Decepticon paid this no mind, however; he was far too befuddled by both the attacks of the aircraft, and the gestalts battering his lower half.

He roared again. "Trypticon mad!" Fire burst forth from his mouth, the reptilian turning his head to follow the Blackbird's flight path. Hurricane fired his thrusters full power, not the least bit interested being offlined just yet. Devastator yanked on Trypticon's tail, diverting his attention momentarily.

Pulse wasted no time; with Trypticon distracted, it was time for him to attack. The silver, red-and-black jet sent out a series of electro-magnetic-pulses, focusing on the large dinosaur's audio receptors.

Trypticon shrieked, stumbling backward, his mouth no longer spewing flame.

"Keep it up, Pulse!" Skywarp cheered, both he and Hurricane continuing their attack on the large Decepticon battle fortress. Defensor, meanwhile, slammed his large fists into Trypticon's midsection, Devastator still gripping his lethal tail.

Pulse let out a gravelly chuckle, sending one EMP burst after another.

"Commander, do you get the feeling he's enjoying his job a little_ too_ much?" Hurricane ventured, diving suddenly to avoid Trypticon's flailing arms.

Skywarp focused fire on the reptile's optics, chuckling darkly. "Yeah, I do get the impression. But, then again," he added, "so am_ I_."

At this point, Megatron was beside himself with rage. Thrust had been destroyed, Octane and Ramjet were too wounded to fight, and Devastator was no longer under his control.

Trypticon was becoming weaker with each assault; between the gestalts and the seekers, the reptilian/battle platform was losing power rapidly.

Worse still, the Decepticon army was losing even _more _of its number. All three of Reflector's components-Spyglass, Viewfinder, and Spectro-had been completely obliterated.

Of course, once Optimus had called in even more reinforcements-this time, the Dinobots-it was to be expected.

Megatron turned his attention to the Stunticons and Combaticons, ordering both to form their gestalt modes, Menasor and Bruticus.

Both combiner teams acknowledged the order. Though this would make them bigger targets, it would also make them more formidable ones.

"Menasor, assist Trypticon!" Megatron barked. "Bruticus, attack the Autobots!"

"Yes, Lord Megatron." They intoned together, stomping toward their intended targets.

Menasor began savagely pummeling Devastator, the green-and-purple gestalt recoiling with an indignant snarl.

Slicer flew overhead, commanding him to fight back. Devastator tackled Menasor, both combiners landing with an earth-shattering crash. Thick, ancient trees snapped like twigs beneath them as they rolled over the dense foliage, large impact marks forming where they had landed. Menasor punched Devastator repeatedly, the clang of metal reverberating, causing birds to take flight.

"Traitor!" he roared, smashing his head against his opponent's own.

Devastator grappled him, trying to pin his arms to his sides. This was proving difficult, as the other gestalt sat atop him.

Slicer decided to aid him, if only to distract Menasor long enough for Devastator to gain the advantage.

Thundercracker, who had previously been with the grey Tomcat, was busy trying to save some of the Autobots, who found themselves surrounded by a few of the Predacons.

They were in one of the mountainous regions encircling the rainforest; Tantrum and Headstrong were busy making trouble for Warpath, the red tank trapped between the Bull and Rhino. His treads skimmed uselessly over the rocks and dirt, as the two bestial mechs had him slightly lifted off of the ground.

Hound and Cliffjumper tried to save their teammate, but found themselves dealing with Rampage and Divebomb.

The tiger-like decepticon clawed viciously at the pair, cornering them on the cliff's edge. Divebomb complicated matters further, the eagle living up to his name.

The latter is whom Thundercracker decided to attack first, being careful not to hit either of the Autobots.

Divebomb let out an angry screech and the F-15 descended, firing on him with quick bursts of laser fire. He turned his attention to the fighter jet, shooting lasers from his eyes.

Thundercracker grunted as one of the beams skimmed his wing-plating, but continued to drop lower, still. He launched a single missile, the eagle catching it with his talons.

_Hmm. Clearly, there's nothing wrong with his reflexes._ Thundercracker mused grudgingly as the eagle thrust his own missile back at him.

The blue jet emitted a sonic boom, destroying it before it even came close. The blast knocked Divebomb out of the air, causing him to land on Rampage.

The tiger snarled ferociously, trying to shake his unconscious teammate off of him, swearing all the while.

The Autobots weren't of the function to look a gift-horse in the mouth, and took this chance to help Warpath. Cliffjumper reverted to his alt mode, deciding to ram the bull, while Hound launched a rocket at the stubborn rhinoceros.

Thundercracker helped them again, and before long, all three mechs had succeeded in sending Tantrum and Headstrong running.

"That's what I'm talkin' about!" Warpath cried joyously. "Kablam!"

_~In another part of the battle~_

Dropzone and Mach Three kept themselves busy, making trouble for any enemy below them. Both the Concorde and the F-16 snickered, as they sent Soundwave and his cassettes running, a mixture of laser fire and bombs raining down on the frantic Decepticon soldiers.

"Hey, look over there," Mach Three exclaimed, "Trypticon is almost down!"

"Huh. Looks like Pulse has him on the ropes." Dropzone commented absently. He then spotted Bruticus, the large, clumsy gestalt viciously attacking every Autobot within reach. "Looks like trouble. C'mon, Mach Three. We'd better help them."

"Yeah, you're right. Any trouble for the Autobots is trouble for us."

"For the time being, anyway."

By the time Starscream tracked Rainstorm down, it was nightfall. Fortunately, all Cybertronians possessed excellent sight, especially in the dark.

All the while, he couldn't help feeling like he was being followed. He had no time to investigate it, however; he had reached the location where Rainstorm's signature was at its strongest.

He descended into the deepest reaches of the rainforest, switching to his proto-form as he landed.

His optics glanced around warily, making certain that he hadn't been detected. All was quiet and still, aside from the occasional foraging creature passing by him. Frightened, they would scurry off, not realizing that the seeker had more pressing matters on his mind.

He walked as quietly as he could, careful not to step on any brittle twigs, or trip over any upraised tree roots.

_I'm getting closer_. He realized. Rainstorm's spark signature was thrumming loudly in his sensors, growing warmer.

Finally, his optics fell on her familiar shape, her wings glinting in the soft moonlight that peaked through the leafy canopy overhead.

With a gasp, he realized she wasn't alone. Astrotrain, Blitzwing, and the two clones he had presumed dead, encircled her. To the far right stood Stinger; the expression on his faceplates hidden in shadow.

He could hear them muttering amongst themselves, and turned up his audio sensors so that he could hear them better.

"We can't let you live, _femme_." Astrotrain was saying, somehow making the word 'femme' sound insulting.

"That's right. You know too much," Blitzwing agreed, a hint of regret tingeing his words, "if only you'd kept your nasal plates out of this."

Starscream let out an involuntary snarl. Realizing his error, he clapped his hands over his mouth, but it was too late. The Triple Changers whirled around, weapons poised.

"I suggest surrendering, Starscream," Blitzwing sneered, "or we'll vaporize you where you stand."

Starscream's optics darted between the Triple Changers, Rainstorm, and his former Elite members.

Rainstorm looked at him pleadingly, but the Air Commander couldn't read the intention behind it.

With a sigh, he raised his arms in compliance. He couldn't save Rainstorm if he was offlined. He would just have to come up with another plan.

"I didn't think you were that smart," Astrotrain snorted, "Stinger, grab him. _Then _we'll decide what to do with him, and his little femme friend."

_Vector Sigma, I hope I come up with a plan soon…_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: When All Else Fails…

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Transformers. They are the property of Hasbro. The only characters that belong to me are my OCs; Slicer, Rapidfire, Stinger, Hurricane, Mach Three, Pulse, Dropzone, and Rainstorm, along with the clones. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only. I make no profit from this.**

_Author's Note: First, I would like to thank the dedicated few who have reviewed my story so far; LucasVN, Vigatus, and anonybot. I really appreciate that you have taken the time to read and review my story this far. I hope each chapter proves to be satisfactory. Thank you very, very much. ^_^_

_**Edit: Like the previous chapters, this one has had some editorial work done. With each chapter, the degree with which it has been editted varies. Nothing has been cut out, but has been added to it. I apologize for the inconvenience, and thank you for your support. :)**_

_Now, we return to the Transformers..._

Daybreak came, and with it, more casualties. Of the Autobots, Cliffjumper, Bluestreak, and Tracks had fallen. The former was a victim of his own hot-headedness, as he tried to square off against Menasor-alone. The latter two had been defending Optimus Prime as Megatron, Razorclaw, and Sixshot cornered him. Nothing was left of the brave soldiers, save for scorched metal. If not for the fact that the battle was still on-going, Optimus would deeply be mourning their loss.

For now, he called in Omega Supreme. Powerglide also had returned to battle, after getting some much needed rest back at H.Q.

There were thirty-seven Autobots presently in battle, including cassettes, the Dinobots, and the combiner teams-currently not in their gestalt forms. They outnumbered the Decepticon faction by two; and even of the thirty-five, four were wounded.

The Elite weren't fairing much better; if not for their alliance with the Autobots, they most assuredly would have suffered more casualties. By some grand design of Primus, no others had been destroyed since S-Clone 1.

The problem, however, was that Starscream and Rainstorm still hadn't returned. If not for Devastator still being under the Elite's control, their ground defenses would not have held out as long as they had.

_Even __**with**__ Devastator, I doubt we can hold out much longer._ Mach Three mused, losing altitude as his energy levels reached critical. _I just wish the Air Commander would hurry back!_

The F-16 returned to his proto-form, hitting the ground painfully. He tumbled, smacking into Prowl.

The Tactician's legs were knocked out from under him, and he landed on his door-wings with a grunt.

"Sorry…Autobot…" Mach Three panted, attempting to stand, only to topple over again.

"What's the matter with you?" Prowl began, hauling himself to his pedes. Upon further surveying the seeker, Prowl's optics glinted with understanding. "Your energy levels are low." He stated, as Mach Three tried to stand once again.

Prowl reached out, and helped the mech up. Mach Three was just about to thank him, when a beam struck him from behind.

The tactician caught him, and hurled the seeker and himself to the side as another blast shot passed them.

"Aw, c'mon. You're makin' it too easy." Frenzy giggled, shooting at them again.

Prowl hurled Mach Three away from another blast, diving to the ground just in time as a stream of bolts cut through the air over his helm.

"Hey, let's shake things up a bit, brother!" Rumble's voice replied from behind where Prowl lay. "What d'ya say?"

_This isn't good…_

Prowl ventilated heavily, hauling himself up to look for Mach Three. The two-tone grey and violet mech lay several feet from where he stood. He was lying on his chassis, his wings pointed straight up. If Prowl had not noticed before the attack that this was, in fact, the natural position for this particular seeker's wings-as opposed to on either side, like Starscream and his trine-he would have believed that Mach Three had suffered greater damage.

As he dove forward to help the aforementioned seeker, Frenzy and Rumble engaged their pile-drivers. Cracks began to form on either side of Prowl and Mach Three, leaving them both vulnerable. The earth began to shift beneath them, buckling. It was all Prowl could do to heave Mach Three to his feet, and keep his own balance.

There was a sudden screech above them, followed by a bright flash. The shaking of the earth ceased, the Tactician hazarding a glance.

_It's Swoop!_ He realized, nearly melting with relief. The pteranodon and his fellow Dinobots were attacking the two cassetticons, beams cascading all around them.

"I think we better fall back, Frenzy!" Rumble shouted, the periwinkle cassette-robot dashing away.

Frenzy was on his twin's heels, the red-and-black counterpart wailing, "Wait for me!"

"Dinobots, you fire no more." Grimlock ordered.

All four subordinates stopped, turning expectantly to their leader.

The T-Rex turned his attention to Prowl and Mach Three, eyeing them quizzically.

"You hurt?"

"I'm fine," Prowl answered, "thanks to all of you. But _he's_ not doing so well." He gestured to the haggard seeker.

"What problem?"

"He needs energon. In fact, I'd be surprised if he was the only one. This battle has lasted far too long." _And that's not including the length of the war for Cybertron._ He added mentally.

"Me, Grimlock, know where to find more energon," Grimlock declared in excitement, "me send Swoop to go and get it."

"You do? How _much_ energon?" Prowl asked in surprise.

"Much," Grimlock replied thickly, "more than enough for all Autobots."

"Where is this source of energon?" Prowl demanded. His patience was wearing thin with the slow Dinobot leader.

"Not far from here," Grimlock assured him, "Swoop, go get energon, now."

"Hang on. I'll send some Autobots to help you." Prowl offered.

Grimlock nodded, and Prowl commed Powerglide and the Aerialbots, the former intended to transport Mach Three to safety until his energy was replenished.

Within a klik, they arrived. Mach Three was loaded into Powerglide's cargo space, and Prowl issued the order to all of the aircraft to follow Swoop, and provide cover fire, if deemed necessary.

Once they were in the air, Prowl turned back to the remaining Dinobots.

"Come with me. We're going to find Optimus."

"I don't get it, TC." Skywarp stated out-of-the-blue, barely avoiding a blast from Trypticon.

"Oh, yeah? What is it that you don't get?" the other asked, launching several missiles at the reptile in retaliation.

"Why hasn't Megatron brought out his weapon, yet? This battle has been goin' on for _groons_ now!"

Both jets fired on Trypticon simultaneously, destroying one of his optics. He howled with pain and rage, spewing flame haphazardly.

With Slicer busy commanding Devastator in his battle with Menasor, and everyone else preoccupied all over the battlefield, the two F-15s were left to wear the battle platform down.

This was proving far more difficult than they had originally believed. Megatron had most definitely made modifications to Trypticon, making him far less likely to burn out early in battle. There had been a point when his energy levels had dipped, but it was clear that Trypticon had been fitted with a reserve energon tank, for he had renewed strength once again.

"I don't know, 'Warp." Thundercracker replied, once they were both clear of Trypticon's flames. "I'm not about to go ask him, though."

_With any luck, Starscream got to the weapon, first._

As much as he wanted it to be true, he couldn't help the strange sense of forboding enveloping him.

Megatron and Soundwave had retreated a safe distance from the battle, the tyrant listening to the Communications Specialist's report.

"So, Blitzwing and Astrotrain have found it." His voice was low, menacing.

He had had a feeling that the two Triple Changers had rebelled against him. Though they had made such an attempt once before, he was somewhat surprised that they had done so again.

_And here I thought that Starscream was the only one foolish enough to betray me repeatedly._

Megatron ground his dentals, turning back to Soundwave. "Send Ravage on reconnaissance. We need to know where they have moved my weapon."

"Jazz, what have you found out?" Optimus transmitted, temporarily hiding from the Combaticons.

_"Two of the Triple Changers have defected from Megatron, and they've captured Starscream and that femme seeker."_

"What else?"

_"They have three other mechs workin' for 'em, and it looks like they have Megatron's weapon hidden somewhere. They plan to use it, themselves."_

"Jazz, hold your position, and feed me the coordinates."

_"Right away, boss bot!"_

Once Optimus had received the coordinates, he called Ironhide, Hound, Trailbreaker, and Red Alert to follow him.

Just as he switched to his alt mode, Prowl and the Dinobots approached him.

"Optimus, I have some news." The Tactician then proceeded to explain about Swoop, Powerglide, and the Aerialbots going on an energon retrieval mission.

"Thank you for the Intel, Prowl." Optimus praised him. "I need you to take command in my absence. Jazz may have located the weapon."

"Yes sir, Optimus. I won't let you down."

"I know, old friend." The Freightliner addressed his assembled crew then. "All right, let's roll!"

Astrotrain shoved Rainstorm roughly, ordering her to move faster.

Starscream whipped around, ready to attack the larger mech. Blitzwing's gun levelled at his head discouraged this, however, and the two seekers were prompted forward again. They trudged through the dense foliage, the sensation of slick plant life sending little shivers through their legs. If not for their current predicament, Starscream would have made his displeasure known. At high volume.

"Any ideas?" Rainstorm murmured through stiff lip components, trying to avoid being overheard. She glanced surreptitiously at their captors; satisfied that they hadn't noticed, she let her gaze return to Starscream.

"Actually, yes." He barely whispered. Not daring to reveal his idea to her lest the Triple Changers overheard him, Starscream opened the private trine link. There would be no need to communicate out loud, this way.

"_Thundercracker, Skywarp!"_

"_Starscream! Where the pit are you?" _Thundercracker sounded both annoyed and relieved.

"_Rainstorm and I have been captured by the Triple Changers. They have Megatron's Apocalypse Cannon."_

"_Send us your coordinates."_

Starscream did so. _"One of you must stay behind to lead the Elite."_

"_What for? If the Triple Changers have the weapon, we don't need to stay. We can all come to getcha!" _Skywarp argued.

Starscream could even imagine the pout the other seeker would have. _Like a spoiled sparkling._ He mused, doing his best not to grin in front of the Triple Changers.

He mentally shook himself, replying to Skywarp sternly. _"No. We mustn't let Megatron know what's going on. Stay there, 'Warp. TC can help me on his own."_

Starscream felt Skywarp's frustration mounting, and decided to reassure him. _"It's not a lack of faith in you. I only need one of you here, and I trust you to lead the Elite like the capable mech you are. Can you do that, in our absence?"_

"_Come on, 'Warp. Just do it!"_ Thundercracker snapped impatiently.

"_Okay, okay! I'll do it," _Skywarp accepted grudgingly, _"neither of you better die on me, though."_

The trine bond fell silent, and Starscream realized that Rainstorm was still gaping at him.

Before he could signal to her, Blitzwing stopped, ordering them to do the same. "This is it."

They had reached a clearing within the rainforest, and at its centre stood a large machine.

At the bottom, it folded out like petals of a flower. A large column rose from the centre of it, riddled with diodes, knobs, and flashing lights. The column narrowed at its apex, with several rods poking out at odd angles. The machine made a low whirring sound, accompanied by the occasional beep.

Starscream could see tubing fitted on the opposite side, energon pumping through each one.

"Well, this is where you meet your end." Astrotrain announced, his weapon pointed at the duo.

With a glance, both could see Blitzwing and the two clones mirroring him, their weapons aimed steadily at the seekers' chassis.

Starscream frowned. Stinger was the only one not following suit.

This did not go unnoticed by either of the Triple Changers.

"Stinger, what are you doing?" Blitzwing snarled. "I thought you were with us!"

Seeing reluctance in the other mech's optics, Starscream decided to try persuasion.

"Stinger, the Triple Changers cannot be trusted."

"Silence!" Astrotrain bellowed, hefting his weapon more threateningly.

"I worked with them once," Starscream pressed on, "and they wound up betraying me. Get out while you still can."

Astrotrain shot Starscream, the seeker landing on his back, temporarily stunned. It was most fortunate that he had been hit with a low-level shot.

Rainstorm let out a growl, and opted to counter-attack. She reverted to her jet form, and began blasting Blitzwing and Astrotrain, her alt mode providing more efficient armour.

"Don't waste your time on that traitor, Commander." She shouted to Starscream, driving the clones back as she did. The Triple Changers dove for the weapon, guarding it. They began returning fire on the Strike Eagle.

Starscream leapt to his feet, attacking the Triple Changers, the clones closing in on him.

"Stinger, what is it going to be?" He declared, using a large tree for cover as the clones bore down on him.

"Betray us, and you'll share their fate!" Blitzwing threatened. With a well-aimed shot, he brought Rainstorm down, the femme switching to her proto-form as she landed.

Looking around in disgust, she realized that she and the Air Commander were in the exact same predicament as they had been only breems before.

They stood back-to-back, surrounded.

"It was nice knowing you_, 'Screamer_," Blitzwing's voice dripped with sarcasm, "but it's time to say goodbye…"

"Not if I have anything to say about it!"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Redemption

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Transformers. They are the property of Hasbro. The only characters that are mine are: Rainstorm, Mach Three, Stinger, Pulse, Hurricane, Dropzone, Rapidfire, Slicer, and the clones. The clone concept is inspired by the various Transformers verses. This fanfiction is purely for entertainment purposes, and I make no profit from it.**

_Author's Note: Once again, I would like to thank the few dedicated readers I have; LucasVN, Vigatus, anonybot, and my newest reviewer, Archaeopteryx Feather. You have inspired me to improve my writing abilities, and have given me new challenges. To any others who come to review, I thank you as well, and hope you enjoy it. Constructive criticism is always welcome._

_**Edit: Lke previous chapters, this one has had some editorial work done. These modifications vary from one chapter to the next. I apologize for the inconvenience, and hope that the story reads more smoothly than before. **_

Inferno hadn't been thrilled when he was left guarding the ARK, but someone had to do it. Ratchet and Powerglide had both rushed out at the first opportunity, eager to aid their comrades.

_But why,_ Inferno thought in bemusement, _did they have to leave me with these two?_

The large red Autobot rubbed his optics wearily, listening to the on-going bickering between Brawn and Huffer.

_If Grapple and Hoist weren't busy with reconstruction missions overseas, at least they'd keep me company-and suffer with me!_

Perceptor was also on base, but as he spent so much time shut up in his lab, it was as though he wasn't there at all.

Inferno also longed to be in battle. Ever since he'd heard his spark-mate, Firestar, was on Earth, it was all he could do to not comm. Optimus and _beg _to join the battle. He was brooding about this when Teletraan-One's alarm went off.

**"Spacebridge activity detected! I repeat: spacebridge activity detected!"**

Inferno straightened up. "Show me." He ordered.

The computer did as commanded, zeroing in on the Decepticon's spacebridge via satellite.

To Inferno's surprise and delight, five familiar forms stepped out of the bridge's gate.

"Brawn, Huffer, guard the base." He said, transforming mid-stride while exiting the console room. "More reinforcements have arrived."

Starscream and Rainstorm looked up at the same moment as the Triple Changers and their subordinates.

Optimus stood before them, brandishing his gun with two Autobots on each side of him.

"Autobots, destroy that weapon!"

Blitzwing was too fast, however, for as Optimus gave the order, he transformed into his tank mode. He blocked the weapon while simultaneously counter-attacking, Astrotrain wasting no time and reverting to his shuttle mode. He ordered the clones to load the weapon into his cargo hold; they worked with maximum efficiency, which Starscream could only assume was due to their reprogramming.

"We can't let them get away with that weapon!" Optimus bellowed, dodging Blitzwing's artillery fire.

Hound launched a missile in retaliation, Trailbreaker concentrating all his power on forming his force fields to protect his fellow Autobots.

Red Alert joined Starscream and Rainstorm where they had taken refuge behind a thicket. The often-times paranoid mech had not entirely forgiven the seeker for tricking him into an alliance some meta-cycles before, but professionalism won out to a personal vendetta.

"Get your afts in gear," he hissed to the pair of them, "unless you _want_ to be scrap metal!"

Starscream bit back a retort, and he and Rainstorm followed Red Alert a safe distance away, where they met up with Jazz.

The saboteur specialist greeted them jovially, as only Jazz could do.

"Optimus and the others still require our assistance." Red Alert informed him.

"No problem, Red. Let's get to it!"

"We're coming, too." Starscream declared.

Red Alert whirled around on him, blue optics flashing dangerously. "I just hauled your sorry backsides out of there, and you want to go back in?"

"The Triple Changers are more cunning than you give them credit for," Starscream shot back, "your friends are outnumbered!"

"Not to mention, if we don't stop them, they'll escape-_with_ the weapon." Rainstorm pointed out.

"We don't have time to be fightin'," Jazz scolded, "let's go!"

Red Alert said nothing more, his lip components compressed as they made their way to the clearing hastily. The earth beneath their feet was soft, smelling sweet of plant decay and of worms. It squelched as they walked through it, Starscream shaking the mud off of his pedes in disgust.

It was as Astrotrain fired his thrusters that they entered it, the smell of burning fuel assaulting their nasal processors.

"Slag it!" Starscream swore. The shuttle was flanked by the two F-15 clones, along with the F/A-18 and Blitzwing in his MiG-25 mode.

Without a word, Rainstorm transformed, chasing after them.

"Hey!" Starscream protested, only to succumb to cursing once more.

_That femme is going to get herself killed!_

As Optimus ordered the Autobots to pursue from the ground, Starscream took to the air.

_I'm going to kill her._ He fumed. _If they don't offline her first, that is._

He ventilated deeply, reconsidering this.

_No, I'm not going to kill her._ He reasoned with himself. _But I will have some choice words with her, if we get out of this alive._

Sending a quick message over the trine link to update Thundercracker and Skywarp on this latest development, the Air Commander blasted full power to his thrusters, willing himself to catch up to Rainstorm.

_Oh, we are going to have a long chat, indeed._

Stinger took up the rear of the convoy, which made him justifiably nervous; Rainstorm was catching up to him, and several meters behind her, so was Starscream.

He had only joined the Triple Changers out of desperation, and it was that same desperation that kept him in their servos, so to speak.

Everything Blitzwing had promised him had been nothing more than a lie; he knew this, now. He didn't have equal partnership with either of them. He was just another pawn, like the clones they had salvaged.

Did S-Clone 2 and T-Clone 2 know this as well? Or had the Triple Changers removed their ability to think and question?

It was at this moment that Stinger decided he wouldn't be a pawn anymore. Flexing his rudders, he pulled back, startling Rainstorm.

"Traitor," she hissed through the comm. "I'll blast you out of-"

"Wait, hear me out!" Stinger pleaded.

Whatever the femme was going to counter with next was lost as Starscream pulled forward.

"We're listening."

Making sure that the Triple Changers were still too preoccupied fleeing to notice, Stinger pressed on.

"I don't want to work with them anymore. I-I've been trying to get o-out for a-awhile, but…"

"You were a coward?" Rainstorm snorted derisively.

"Rainstorm-" Starscream warned.

"N-No, I…" Stinger stuttered, ventilating dejectedly. "Yes, I was. Commander, please-"

"You betrayed us, and you think you can just come _crawling_ back?" Rainstorm was hysterical now. "Commander, you can't _possibly_ be considering-"

"I _can _and I _will_." Starscream declared, reminding her who was in charge. "Stinger, continue."

"I-I'm really sorry. _Please_, I implore you. Let me come back to the Elite. I'll do anything!"

Given his own past with Megatron, Starscream realized the Hornet was frightened of the Triple Changers. He wasn't so cold-sparked as to refuse the plea.

"All right," the Air Commander agreed, "but certain conditions must be met. You are now on probation until further notice. You are to accompany me at all times, so that I can keep my optics on you. If you show any signs of betraying us again, you will face _permanent_ exile. If you breech said exile, I will gladly allow Rainstorm to terminate you. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Commander. Thank you, thank you…" the jet nearly wept with relief.

"Now, we must obtain that weapon." Starscream ordered. "Rainstorm, I want you to fire on the clones. Stinger, you and I will take on the Triple Changers."

Rainstorm acknowledged, swerving to the left to flank the clones. She spat artillery at them, following up with some well-aimed missiles.

In the confusion, the two F-15s swerved, nearly crashing into one another. They landed heavily, temporarily out of the fight.

"Astrotrain, we've lost our support!" Blitzwing shouted. He made a hard right turn, and began firing on their pursuers.

Starscream and Stinger parted briefly, and then returned fire.

Satisfied that both clones were far enough away from the dogfight, Rainstorm joined her comrades, all three jets firing on the MiG-25.

"Astrotrain, move it! I can't hold them off!" Blitzwing cried, the smell of burning metal from his wings bringing energon tears to his eyes. He was gaining speed and losing altitude at the same time.

"Rainstorm, break formation, and go after Astrotrain!"

The femme obeyed, putting on a burst of speed that nearly made Starscream envious.

_I must upgrade my alternate mode sometime._ He mused.

Seeing that Blitzwing had landed safely, Starscream considered going after him to finish the job. As he mulled it over, he saw that the Autobots had already reached the Triple Changer. They hauled the violet and white mech to his feet, stasis cuffs encircling his wrists.

"Let's go," he ordered Stinger, "Rainstorm is going to need our help bringing Astrotrain down."

Inferno greeted the five Autobots enthusiastically. "I'm so glad you made it. We could use more sure-shots out there!"

"It's been too long, Inferno." Ultra Magnus clapped a hand on the other mech's shoulder. "Allow me to introduce you to my squadron."

He gestured to the four standing behind him. "This lovely femme is Arcee. The young mech next to her is Hot Rod, my protégé. Then there's Springer, my eye-in-the-sky. And," he continued, gesturing to the last mech, "I believe you already know Kup."

"Nice place you guys have," Kup remarked, "it reminds me of the time, back in Iacon-"

Inferno chuckled, "I see _that_ hasn't changed. How have you been, you old codger?"

"I'm still functioning, so I guess _that's _something." Kup laughed.

"Well, I'd love to talk with you all more, but later. Right now," Inferno became serious, "I think we're needed. Are you all prepared for this?"

"I've been ready since I stepped off the line." Arcee smiled.

The others murmured their agreement, and Inferno clapped his hands together. "Okay then, let's go!" They raced off, all hoping they'd reach the Amazon before things got too far out of hand.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Race Against Time

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Transformers-they are the property of Hasbro. The only characters that belong to me are my OCs: Rainstorm, Stinger, Mach Three, Pulse, Hurricane, Dropzone, Slicer, Rapidfire, and the clones. The clone concept belongs to various Transformers verses. This fanfic is for entertainment purposes only.**

_**Edit: As with my previous chapters, this one has undergone some modifications. None of the original content has been removed. Rather, more detail has been added. Not all chapters will necessarily undergo this transformation, and for those that have and will, it varies. I apologize to my readers for this inconvenience, and hope you find the end result satisfactory.**_

By some misfortune, Astrotrain crashed just shy of where Megatron stood. He transformed, shielding the weapon as the large grey mech fixed him with a hardened stare.

"So, this is why Ravage couldn't locate the weapon," Megatron commented with an edge in his voice, "You took it into your cargo area, and took flight."

"Megatron, I-"

"Silence, traitor!" Megatron snarled, his fusion cannon aimed at Astrotrain's chest, mere inches from his Decepticon insignia.

His lip curled at this. _I could blast the insignia off of him, and in turn, blast him like a blemish, removing him from the Decepticon faction._

Astrotrain visibly quailed under the High Commander's scrutiny, wracking his processor for a way out of his predicament.

This proved to be unnecessary, as the Autobots began to attack, with Starscream joining them.

Using the distraction to his advantage, Astrotrain took off, the Apocalypse Cannon safely aboard.

Blitzwing watched as his partner-in-crime took to the air, growling as he strained against his bonds. The Autobots paid him no mind, as they found themselves dealing with a very irate Megatron, along with his troops.

Soundwave released each one of his cassettes, despite Slugfest and Overkill still being wounded. Sixshot reverted to his armoured car form, revving his engine threateningly before attempting to ram the Autobots.

Optimus blasted at his tires, the rubber melting onto the solid rock, rendering the Six Changer immobile. Jazz took this opportunity to jump into the air, firing on the defenseless Decepticon repeatedly.

Rumble and Frenzy were having none of it, both deciding to cause as much mayhem as possible with their pile-drivers. They launched themselves at Red Alert, pounding him incessantly with their weapons, forcing him into his alt mode.

Ironhide came to the young security officer's rescue, opting to freeze the ground beneath Rumble and Frenzy with liquid nitrogen.

Caught off-guard, the pair found themselves flailing their arms, their legs frozen in place.

"That was a dirty trick, you Auto_bum_!" Frenzy accused, trying gingerly with his pile-driver to break the ice up.

Not wanting to risk breaking his own legs, however, he stopped. Looking around, he remembered the laser pistol on his back, and decided to use its lower setting to thaw the frozen nitrogen.

Rumble followed his example, and both broke free.

Simultaneously, so too, did Blitzwing. The stasis cuffs snapped, and with a quick transformation, the MiG-25 was in the air.

It was at this moment that everyone realized that Blitzwing was getting away, only to become further enraged that they hadn't gone after Astrotrain before, when they had had the chance.

Starscream, who had been in the middle of firing on Megatron-with the Autobot, Hound's assistance-took off, refusing to let the Triple Changers escape a second time.

"Thundercracker!" Starscream hailed over the private channel.

_"I'm here, Starscream. I lost your signal temporarily. What happened?"_

"The Triple Changers escaped, so we followed them. I'm in pursuit. What's your status?"

_"I can get to you in a breem."_

"Good. Contact Skywarp, and let him know what has occurred."

_"Affirmative. I just hope we take the 'Changers out fast. The last I saw, the Elite are having a pit of a time."_

"Understood. But for now, get your aft in gear," Starscream ordered, "I could really use your sonic blasts, right about now."

_"I'm on it."_

Mach Three flew behind Powerglide, Swoop and the Aerialbots flanking them. All were fully energized, thanks to Swoop finding the energon source deep within the mountainside. It had been riddled with caverns, filled with large quartz crystals. It was these crystals that had refueled the weary soldiers, once they had tapped into their cores.

Now, each Aerialbot-along with Powerglide-carried mass quantities of the energon they'd converted from the crystals within their hulls. They hurried to help their worn-out teammates, knowing they'd need it from their long battle.

"It's going to be tricky distributing the energon to everyone while making sure the Decepticons don't get any, but nothing's impossible for ol' Powerglide, here." The A-10 remarked.

"I welcome the challenge." Air Raid declared enthusiastically.

"Stay focused on the mission." Silverbolt reminded the eager F-15.

He ignored the youthful jet's grumbling, and continued surveying the land. Surrounding the lush, green forest, were rolling hills littered with exotic plant life, accented with denser areas where the various swamps joined the vast river. Framing these were the illustrious cliffs and mountain sides, where large outcrops of sedimentary rock stood sentry over the entire rainforest. With a more advanced scan, he could detect the various forms of wildlife below; large catfish swam deep within the river, with schools of piranha feeding on the unfortunate bottom feeders, known as plecostemus. Hidden within the trees were large reptiles and colourful birds, and all manner of insects.

Finally, the concorde caught sight of the battle, and as widespread as it was, he could see each mech and femme below.

"Okay." Powerglide's voice cut into his surveillance, shaking him out of his thoughts. "I'm going to make my rounds to Optimus and the troops surrounding him. The rest of you should spread out as much as you can."

"Right," Silverbolt replied, "Air Raid, I want you and Slingshot to help the troops dealing with Bruticus over there. Fireflight, you and Skydive assist the Protectobots and anyone else in their radius."

Receiving confirmation, all aircraft broke off, Mach Three jettisoning toward where the Elite were still engaged with Menasor and Trypticon.

_"Commander Skywarp, this is Mach Three. I've brought energon!"_

The ebony jet was preoccupied with wearing out Trypticon, with Pulse at his side.

The reptilian definitely looked the worse for wear; he had an optic missing, with large holes scored through his head and chest plating.

_"That is the best news I've heard in solar cycles,"_ Skywarp replied, _"Elite, fall back to energize!"_

All complied, Slicer even leaving Devastator to battle Menasor unguided. They landed behind a safe outcrop of rock, and reverted to their proto-forms, their pedes clicking against the shale.

"Where is Commander Thundercracker?" Mach Three inquired, as he began to pass around cubes of energon.

"He left to help the Air Commander. They're tailin' the Triple Changers." Skywarp answered, gulping down the pinkish-purple fluid, savouring its sweet, tangy flavour. "It seems they've located the weapon."

Pulse spat out the energon he was drinking, the cone on his head snapping back, only to return to its upright position. "What? Then what are we doing here?" He rasped angrily.

"He's right," chimed in Rapidfire, "we should be helping them, not wasting our time on Megatron."

Skywarp held up a hand for silence, fixing them all with a 'no nonsense' glare. "Look, I agree with ya. But we're needed here, to keep the 'cons busy. It's a diversion, ya see?"

Before he got any further, he received a call from Thundercracker.

_"Just got a message from Optimus,"_ he started without preamble, _"he's calling in Metroplex to finish off Trypticon. Starscream wants you and the Elite to focus on destroying the gestalts. Once that's complete, regroup."_

"I got it." Skywarp replied, turning back to his subordinates. His optics swept over each one, noting how the tips of Slicer and Rapidfire's wings twitched mere inches above the ground, as they anxiously whispered together. Mach Three shifted from one foot to the other impatiently, his expression one of puzzlement. Pulse looked directly at him, optics expectant. Hurricane and Dropzone were the only ones not reacting, both seemingly lost in thought.

Skywarp cleared his vocal processor, drawing all their attention back to him. "The Autobots have called in their largest warrior to finish off Trypticon."

This was met with cheering, along with incoherent muttering-from Pulse, in particular.

"Our mission now is to take out all enemy gestalts, and any individual Decepticon combiners. Is everyone clear?"

Everyone yelled their confirmation, eager to obtain victory. Finishing their energon rations eagerly, they took flight yet again, ready to face whatever lay ahead.

The battle raged on for several more hours, reinforcements arriving on both sides.

Metroplex had destroyed Trypticon in rapid succession, leaving the reptilian battle platform down for the count. It hadn't taken much, after all he had suffered from the aircraft and the gestalts; all Metroplex had done was grab him by the neck, swung him through the air, and finished him off with a well-placed cannon blast.

The Autobots and the Elite celebrated this by attacking their enemies with renewed vigor, determined to drive them back.

To Slicer's dismay, he had lost control of Devastator. Sometime during his battle with Menasor-most likely after Slicer had left to energize-the individual Constructicons' processors had been rattled, nearly offlining in the process. Instead, however, they had come to, breaking free of the F-14's hacking ability, and reverting back to their allegiance to Megatron.

Now both Menasor and Devastator ganged up on Metroplex, the Elite doing what they could to draw fire away from the Autobot battle station. It was becoming grisly, with each passing moment. Despite refueling on energon, they were still quite battle-worn, their systems screaming for recharge.

At this point, Metroplex transformed into his platform mode; it compromised his attack power, but raised his defenses exponentially.

Fortunately, Omega Supreme arrived. His optics locked on Devastator, and in return, his resolve was strengthened. He had a score to settle with the Constructicons…

_~After another agonizing hour~_

A cease-fire had finally been called. Optimus Prime and Megatron had reached an agreement; this was a rare occurrence, indeed, but with the weapon in the Triple Changer's possession-and lost to their radar-it was the only option left.

"Then it is settled," Optimus declared for all to hear, "we must join together, if we are to stop the Triple Changers from initiating that weapon."

Starscream snorted in disgust. Thundercracker and Skywarp stood on either side of him, arms folded over their chests, both wearing scowls on their faces.

"I will not join forces with him!" Starscream spat, pointing at Megatron. "You must have faulty logic circuits. He will double-cross us the moment the weapon is in our possession!"

"On the contrary," Inferno stepped forward, "he won't. We destroyed the spacebridge. Consider it a little extra insurance."

"Good work, Inferno." Optimus murmured, the rest of the Autobots cheering and laughing in response.

Megatron looked furious, which made Starscream that much more pleased. The seeker smirked openly, not letting it falter as the tyrant's optics burned into his own.

_Without the spacebridge as a means of escape, Megatron will be coerced into co-operation! _He nearly couldn't contain the laughter that threatened to burst forth, so he turned away quickly, only to see Skywarp and Thundercracker struggling in the same fashion.

"Not to throw a wrench into the works," Wheeljack reluctantly spoke up, "but we still have yet to find where the Triple Changers are hiding."

This was met with awkward silence, the seekers no longer grinning. Each mech and femme considered this information, the quiet becoming deafening. The silence was broken, as Skywarp voiced what every one of them had concluded, their optics flashing with fear.

"They don't know the spacebridge has been destroyed."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Survival

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Transformers. The only characters I own are my previously mentioned OC's. I make no profit from this fanfiction; it is for entertainment purposes, only.**

_Author's Note: I would like to, once again, thank my reviewers. Your support, advice, and critique have been invaluable. I hope you continue to read and review, as my story unfolds._

_**Edit: As I have done with previous chapters, this one has also undergone some editting. This will vary from one chapter to another, and some chapters may not wind up editted at all (if I feel they're at the best quality I can produce at this time). I apologize to my readers for not doing this sooner. Thank you all for your support. :)**_

Optics shifted around frantically, locking onto the faceplates of friend and foe alike. With the Triple Changers oblivious to the fact that the spacebridge had been destroyed, and the Apocalypse Cannon in their possession, things began to look rather grim.

It was decided that groups consisting of both Decepticons and Autobots would split up, searching the rainforest on all sides. This way, they'd be able to cover more ground, while simultaneously keeping an eye on one another. Member of the Elite would join them as well, while the rest of them would search the skies.

"Rapidfire, I want you and your brother to join the ground forces." Starscream ordered. It was decided that Pulse, Rainstorm, T-Clone 3 and Warp-Clone 1 would join Rapidfire. "The rest of you will join Slicer," the Air Commander indicated, "except _you_, Stinger."

The black and yellow striped mech looked at the ground, shuffling his pedes against the moist earth in embarrassment. His optics were hidden in the shadow of his helm, but the frown on his lip components betrayed his regret.

_But, now is not the time for leniency._ Starscream reminded himself. He had warned Stinger of the conditions, after all, and the young seeker had accepted them, in return for Starscream's forgiveness, and through that, the ability to rejoin the Elite.

Thundercracker broke the awkward silence, as each recruit looked at Stinger with a mixture of pity and disgust. "All right, you've all been given your orders. Get to it!"

They acknowledged, both groups breaking off hurriedly to join the Autobots and Decepticons, whom had already begun the search.

"Now, prepare for flight." Starscream proclaimed to those who remained. "We must find the Triple Changers, before it is too late."

_And we had better do it fast._

The ground forces seemed to shrink beneath the jets as they rose into the air. If not for the urgency of their mission, the trine would like nothing more than to lazily circle the sky, to feel the wind caressing their wings as they looped and barrel-rolled.

The scent of rain tickled their nasal processors, causing them to look overhead and observe that heavy, dark clouds loomed over them. Starscream, as was customary, took point. Stinger was directly behind him in his wake, with Skywarp and Thundercracker on either side. They soared, the whistling of the wind in their audios blocking out all other sound.

_"Keep careful watch over Stinger,"_ Starscream cautioned through the trine link, _"he is currently on probation."_

_"I'm surprised you granted him clemency."_ Thundercracker remarked, surveying the mottling of rich and dark green beneath them, which was occasionally punctuated by reds, pinks, and yellows of exotic flowers.

_"I don't think he'll betray us, again."_ Starscream replied, his tone thoughtful. He turned his sensors up high, scanning for any sight or sound of the Triple Changers.

_"Why is that?"_ Skywarp asked, the ebony and violet seeker sounding doubtful.

_"I believe his alliance with the Triple Changers was an act of desperation, made rashly and out of fear."_

_"And you're basing this on what, exactly?"_ Thundercracker ventured.

_"He was desperate to get away from them. He came to me, at a moment of their triumph, begging to be allowed back."_

_"That doesn't mean anythin' Starscream."_ Skywarp scoffed. _"You've done the same thing with Megatron."_

The Air Commander let out a warning growl. _"I never did when I was at the advantage. If you can't differentiate between the two-"_

Thundercracker interrupted them, his sensors flashing._ "I'm picking up Blitzwing's signature."_

Starscream's frustration with Skywarp lapsed momentarily, and he took the opportunity to double-check Thundercracker's pinpoint of the Triple Changer.

_"Good work, TC."_ Starscream switched back to the Elite frequency, relaying the information to both Rapidfire and Slicer.

_"Do you wish us to inform the Autobots, sir?"_ Slicer queried.

"For the sake of cornering the Triple Changers, yes." Starscream replied.

_It may seem like overkill, but they've slipped passed us too many times, now._ Starscream reasoned with himself.

Both Tomcats acknowledged the order, the comm. frequency going silent.

The four jets focused on their navigation, easing their throttles as they descended into the rainforest once again. As they landed, they transformed, each one looking around warily. They treaded through the damp undergrowth, the smell of plant decay hanging in the air, sweet and pungent. Moisture clung to the glass on their cockpits, trickling down in rivets. The sun was setting, nearly twilight, the sky streaked with violet, gold, and red.

"Make sure your optic sensors are at full power," Starscream whispered, "we don't want the Triple Changers to get the jump on us."

The foursome continued walking, the occasional twig snapping underfoot, sometimes followed by the startled cry of a roosting bird. The sound of night time insects thrummed to life, the seekers straining their audios for a hint of their quarry amidst the chirping of crickets.

Glinting orbs of green peered at them through tree branches and bushes, the animals to which these belonged not daring to approach the large metallic beings, for fear and instinct warned against such action.

After several agonizing moments, Starscream stopped abruptly. Skywarp, not expecting this, crashed into him, earning a hissed insult. The Air Commander glared at him through narrowed optics, and then returned to what had caught his attention in the first place.

_"I'm sorry."_ Skywarp murmured softly through the trine link.

_"I'm use to your clumsiness."_ Starscream replied dismissively, glancing around cautiously in hopes of seeing a glimpse of what he'd seen before.

_I could have sworn I saw a flash of red…_

_"Not for that,"_ Skywarp elaborated, _"I'm sorry for…well, y'know…"_

Starscream knew perfectly well what Skywarp was apologizing for, but he wasn't ready to forgive him yet. What his wing-mate had failed to understand was this; it wasn't cowardice that had compelled him to grovel before Megatron-at least, not in and of itself. For many, many orns-more than Starscream cared to admit-he had felt a kinship with Megatron. It was true that the High Commander angered him as much as Starscream himself, angered the tyrant. But, there had been points where Starscream had felt closer to him; the way a son felt toward his father, or toward an older brother.

Many times, the Air Commander had begged forgiveness, not just for his survival, but out of genuine remorse for his actions. It had only been as of late, that it had become less sincere, and borne more out of self-preservation.

Starscream could grudgingly respect Megatron's leadership, but it angered him that, as second-in-command, he was given little, to no respect, himself. This had been the final straw; he believed in the Decepticon ideals as much as Megatron did, but he would no longer follow his lead.

He allowed Skywarp to sense this revelation through the trine bond, only to receive startling amounts of regret in return.

Thundercracker wasn't ignorant to this, but remained silent throughout the ordeal. He had learned many orns ago that it was best to let them work it out on their own, and so resolved to keep a sharper look-out whilst they did this. Stinger remained oblivious of the silent communique, but followed the Wing Commander's lead, scanning the area for danger.

_"All right, __**all right**__…"_ Starscream vented in resignation. _"You are __**forgiven**__, Skywarp."_

The amount of pleading he had felt through the bond had been overwhelming, but it had been _nothing_ compared to the big, sad optics following his every move.

Skywarp grinned lopsidedly, relief etched into his faceplates. Starscream shook his head, stifling the exasperated groan that rose in his throat.

_Only Skywarp can use that 'slapped puppy' look, and get away with it._ He thought wryly.

He silently thanked Thundercracker for keeping watch, and they continued their journey deep within the forest, ever vigilant as they stepped over logs and tree roots.

Thunder rumbled overhead, the sky opening up as rain lashed across the land. Lightning cracked the sky, the wind whipping branches of trees to and fro.

"I guess this is why they call it a rainforest, huh?" Skywarp wondered aloud.

Thundercracker snickered in response, but didn't dare to look away from the area he was scanning.

Starscream heard a sound, then. It had been faint, and if not for the momentary lapse in the thunder, he wouldn't have caught it at all.

_That sounds like a weapon being cocked._ He realized. His optics darted around, sweeping the brush to his right, where the sound had originated from. A pair of optics, as crimson as his own, glared at him through the dense foliage.

With a start, he stumbled backward, shouting, "Triple Changers!"

There was a blast, the other seekers barely having time to react. The Air Commander stared in horror, unable to comprehend what he was seeing.

At the last moment, Stinger had leapt in front of Starscream, taking the full blast of Blitzwing's attack.

He let out a pained gasp, and crumpled to the ground, energon gushing forth from his chest cavity.

Starscream raised his null-ray, blindly firing where the red optics had been. Thundercracker hefted Stinger to his feet, one arm supporting beneath the wounded seeker's wing joints, the other pointed where the Triple Changer had been, emitting a sonic blast.

There was a loud crack, a tree beginning to fall over, the wood splintering in every direction. Blitzwing crashed through the dense foliage, and launched himself at the blue seeker. Starscream tackled him from the side, allowing Thundercracker more time to pull Stinger to safety.

Blitzwing landed with a thud, the Air Commander on top of him. Soft earth sprayed up from where they landed, splattering all over their armour plating. Starscream punched his adversary, only to have the Triple Changer plant his feet against his midsection, launching Starscream backward off of him.

The two clones under his control joined the fight then, attacking Skywarp, who had taken to shielding Thundercracker and Stinger.

His knees buckled, as one of them grabbed him around the ankles, the other one leaping onto his back. He fell face-first into the mud, unable to fight back, as his wings were weighed down by their bulk.

Securing Stinger into a safe area behind a thicket of trees, Thundercracker ran out to help his friend. He grabbed his secondary clone by the back of the neck, and hurled him off of Skywarp. The teal clone snarled savagely, drawing back from the mech he'd been duplicated from.

Skywarp continued to struggle with S-Clone 2, hesitant to harm the faded copy that resembled the Air Commander so much. He managed to lock him in a half-nelson, and asked through gritted dentals, "Why…are you…fighting us? We created…you!"

"You…left us…for…dead!" the clone shot back, his voice softer than the real Starscream's.

Skywarp froze, his grip remaining tight on his captive. So _that_ was it. The Triple Changers had reprogrammed their combat abilities, maybe even made them a little more self-aware; but the clones had _willingly_ changed their allegiance.

"I-I tried to save you." Skywarp's voice was desperate, pleading. "Don't you remember?"

"And…then you…left." The clone struggled harder than ever, now. Skywarp tightened his grip, digging his pedes into the ground a little harder.

"I thought you had _died!_" Skywarp said, becoming more defensive. "If I'd known you were still online, I woulda come back for you!"

The clone went limp, as though he was chewing on this bit of information. "Really?" The question was soft, barely audible.

Skywarp released him, the clone turning to face him. "Yes, really." He panted, doubled-over with his hands on his knees.

"Why?"

This question puzzled Skywarp, but he answered it honestly. "Because, you're a member of the Decepticon Elite," he straightened up, still panting. "And that's as good as being family."

Having overheard this sentiment, T-Clone 2 backed away from Thundercracker, who had been only seconds away from blasting him to Primus-knows-where.

He raised his hands, his fingers splayed submissively. Thundercracker lowered his weapon in bewilderment, suddenly aware of a faint pressure at the edge of his spark.

_The trine bond._ He realized. _He can use it! _The sensation was light, but he understood the intention behind it. He glanced over at Skywarp, the other nodding his head in encouragement. Convinced, he turned his attention to where Starscream was still brawling with Blitzwing, the others doing likewise.

Metal fists pounded against one another, the seeker finally managing to fling the purple-and-white mech off of him. Blitzwing landed with a thud, his head colliding with a thick tree trunk.

The Air Commander stood over him, Skywarp and Thundercracker at each side, the clones flanking them. His null-ray was poised, level with the mech's faceplates.

Optics flared dangerously, his tone equallyas threatening. "Now, where is that weapon?"


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: From Bad to Worse

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Transformers. They belong to Hasbro, and their affiliated companies. The only characters that belong to me are my OC's: Stinger, Rainstorm, Rapidfire, Dropzone, Pulse, Hurricane, Slicer, Mach Three, and the clones. The clones concept was inspired by various Transformers verses.**

_Author's Note: Once again, I'd like to thank my dedicated reviewers; your input has been much appreciated, and as always, feel free to give me an in-depth review. I'd love to know what you like, don't like, and if you find any spelling errors._

_I'd also like to credit Anonybot with his/her helpful suggestions. This author suggested I incorporate the pincer attack formation into my story quite some time ago, and now, it is featured in this chapter. Thank you for your help. ^_^_

_**Edit: Unlike chapters 1-11, I could find no way to improve this chapter further. I know opinions may vary on this fact, but I believe I have done the best I can at the present time. I'm still doing what I can to polish my rusted writing abilities, and ask that you all bear with me. :) Thank you for your understanding and support.**_

_Now, we continue on with the story._

"I will only ask you once more." Starscream declared, the null-ray mere inches from Blitzwing's nose. "Where are Astrotrain and the Apocalypse Cannon?"

The Triple Changer was visibly shaking, energon in the form of perspiration trickling down his helm. He was beginning to hyperventilate, his breath coming out in choked gasps. On either side of Starscream stood Skywarp and Thundercracker; behind them stood T-Clone 2 and S-Clone 2.

Starscream was growing more agitated, knowing that Stinger was close to death and that if the weapon wasn't found, everyone else would suffer the same. His null-ray began whining with power, bringing Blitzwing out of his shocked silence.

"I-I don't know!" He cried pitifully, cringing further as Starscream shifted closer to him.

"Oh really? Let's try this again…" His weapon was humming more dangerously now, his optics burning into Blitzwing's own. There was no mistaking the glare; the Triple Changer was on thin ice, and he knew it.

At this point, he began to wonder if _this_ was how Stinger had felt when he'd been looming over him. He mentally shook the conclusion away as the tip of the null-ray began to glow, indigo light growing brighter.

"I swear, I don't know." His voice cracked, nearly a sob. He held his hands up in submission, kneeling. "Astrotrain wanted to make sure you couldn't stop him. He refused to even tell_ me_ where he was going!"

Skywarp snorted from Starscream's left, his arms crossed dubiously over his chest. "Do you actually expect us to believe that?"

Blitzwing's mouth hung open in dismay, his optics searching their faces beseechingly. "I'm telling you the truth!" He insisted.

"Let's presume that you are." Starscream replied, powering down his weapon. It was still trained on the Triple Changer, but only as a precaution. "Even if what you say is true, you can communicate with him via a private channel, correct?"

Blitzwing nodded slowly, his facial features still etched with fear. "I can, but…"

"But what?" Starscream prompted.

"He…may not answer me. Even if he _does, _there's no guarantee that he'll sacrifice his chance to use the weapon for me." With this statement, Blitzwing sunk lower into the muddy earth, his shoulders drooping.

"He'd abandon even_ you_ for the cannon, one of his own kind?" Starscream was genuinely surprised by this. It wasn't uncommon within the Decepticon ranks for there to be back-stabbing and threats (the latter usually made idly). But it _was_ rare for them to abandon one of their closer brethren.

Starscream continued to stare at Blitzwing, running the possibilities that the Triple Changer was lying to him through his processor. Detecting no sign of deception, he shifted into a more relaxed stance.

"I suggest you relay a message to Astrotrain," Starscream asserted, "both of your lives depend on it, as well as ours."

Blitzwing blinked, his optics growing wide in bewilderment. "I don't understand."

"Maybe we should explain it to him, eh Starscream?" Skywarp suggested, glancing at his superior anxiously.

"He's got a point," Thundercracker added, "We're kind of pressed for time, here."

"What in Primus' name are you all talking about?" Blitzwing asked, looking more perplexed with each passing second.

By the time Starscream had finished explaining about the spacebridge's destruction, and the weapon's potential, Blitzwing was in hysterics.

"We're doomed!"

As Blitzwing attempted to call Astrotrain over their shared frequency, Starscream opted to check up on Stinger. Thundercracker, Skywarp, and the clones stayed with the Triple Changer, ensuring that he didn't try to pull a fast one on them.

Stinger lay exactly where Thundercracker had put him. Energon pooled around him as it continuously flowed from the gaping wound in his chest, his optics were slightly dimmed, his breathing fast and shallow.

Starscream knelt beside him, glancing around for anything that could slow the seeping energon. He grasped several large, dark green leaves, and began pressing them against the hole. He knew it was futile; even if the plant life could absorb the energon, it couldn't stem the bleeding, especially that of a robot.

"What you did was very brave, Stinger." Starscream commended, earning a wan smile from the recruit. His paint had lost its luster; he looked pale, a sheen of energon on his greying faceplates.

"I figured I…owed you that much, since I…" Stinger didn't finish, his ventilation heavy with exertion. His optics focused on Starscream, looking at him meaningfully.

The Air Commander understood, and patted him on his shoulder strut. "We'll do whatever we can to save you," he reassured, "and when you're back on your pedes, your probation will be negated. You have proven yourself."

"There's…nothing you can…do…" Stinger gasped, fighting to get the words out. "It's enough for me…to know…that I am vindicated. Thank you, Commander…"

Starscream gulped several times, trying to steady his emotions. Despite the betrayal, Stinger had come through, in the end. He wouldn't give up on him so easily, and nor would he let his efforts go to waste.

"Don't cash in your warranty yet," Starscream declared with grim determination, "this is far from over."

The sound of dozens of feet crashing through the forest brought Starscream to his pedes, his optics darting around to locate the source of the noise.

A mixed group of Autobots and Decepticons emerged, with members of the Elite trailing behind them.

Optimus Prime and Megatron were in the lead, the latter approaching the Air Commander. His optics took in the sight of Blitzwing surrounded by the other seekers, and he nodded his satisfaction.

"Excellent," he proclaimed, resting a hand on Starscream's shoulder strut. "You have located the traitor, Blitzwing. I may accept you back into the Decepticon ranks, yet."

"I'm not interested," Starscream shot back, shrugging the larger mech's hand off of him, "your days of being the Decepticon High Commander are numbered. I do not desire _your_ acceptance!"

Megatron let out a furious growl, ready to attack the arrogant seeker. Optimus intervened, his voice sharp. "Enough of your petty squabbling. Where is the Apocalypse Cannon?"

"We're working on that," Starscream replied curtly, "it seems Astrotrain hid even that information from Blitzwing."

Thundercracker stepped forward, shaking his helm. "It's no good, Starscream. Astrotrain isn't responding."

The Air Commander cast a glimpse at Blitzwing, the Triple Changer emanating terror and resignation. Skywarp and the clones still encircled him, though they no longer looked as though they were holding him captive. Whatever was going through Blitzwing's processor held him there, paralyzed with the knowledge that he might soon die, along with everyone else.

"There must be some other way to locate that weapon." Starscream tapped his pede absently, rubbing his chin in concentration.

"I can't even get a lock on his spark signature," Blitzwing murmured, seemingly to himself. "it's as though he has disappeared."

Starscream froze his pede, mid-tap. He looked up in alarm, his optics locked on the Triple Changer. "Is there a chance that Astrotrain has already activated the weapon?"

Every mech and femme shifted uncomfortably, the sound of metal joints deafening in the loaded silence.

Blitzwing shook his head mechanically, but the dread in his optics said otherwise. "No…he wouldn't. He couldn't have…"

A string of curses went through Starscream's head, none potent enough to express the gravity of the situation. His optics swept over the crowd, coming to rest on the Autobot, Ratchet.

"Medic," he called out to him, "I require your assistance." He gestured to Stinger, the mostly white mech barely conscious by this point.

Ratchet nodded stiffly, approaching the wounded seeker. "I'll see what I can do." Despite the enmity, he couldn't refuse a bot in need; not even that of an enemy.

Starscream helped load Stinger into Ratchet, once the medic had transformed. The ambulance raced off with Prowl and Hound as escort, Starscream ordering Pulse and Dropzone to follow by air. He turned back to everyone else, his demeanor that of someone who had accepted their fate as leader long ago.

"I suggest you all keep your optics sharp for any extreme weather changes. The Apocalypse Cannon is capable of creating every known natural disaster-all at once."

"Then we shall continue our search," Optimus declared. "Anyone who finds it will destroy it on sight."

"Do not presume to order my troops around." Megatron growled.

"You would be foolish not to heed my warning," Optimus countered. "Remember, Megatron. _All_ of our lives are at stake."

Megatron grunted, venting heavily. "I concede the point, Prime."

"Enough talk," Starscream snapped, "Elite, follow me!"

The Decepticon Elite took flight, Blitzwing joining them.

"We will search by air." Starscream shouted down to Optimus. "May I suggest the rest of you spread out?"

Thirteen sets of thrusters roared to life, Starscream not even waiting for an answer. If there had been any reply from Optimus, or any scathing remarks made by the Decepticons or Megatron himself, he did not hear them. Blue and orange flame flickered behind all of the aircraft, pure white plumes of exhaust trailing from their afterburners.

All that mattered was destroying the weapon; anything else that followed would be dealt with when the time came.

_And the time __**will **__come._ Starscream thought determinedly. _I will defeat Megatron, once and for all!_

After several minutes, Thundercracker managed to get a lock on Astrotrain's location. Less than ten seconds later, the Elite found themselves evading ionic blasts.

"Blitzwing, you traitor!" The dual-voiced mech shouted, firing on his fellow Triple Changer.

Though there was no love-lost between himself and Blitzwing, Starscream was not going to leave the MiG to Astrotrain's 'tender' mercies. The Elite countered with laser fire, the shots cascading all around the large Triple Changer. The Apocalypse Cannon was hidden behind him in tall, bristled grass, just barely concealed.

"I have not betrayed you." Blitzwing pleaded, flying in Skywarp's slipstream. "You must not use the weapon!"

"Listen to him," Thundercracker snapped, "the spacebridge has been destroyed. If you use the Apocalypse Cannon, we'll all perish-including you!"

"Fools," A bark of cynical laughter escaped Astrotrain, "do you actually expect me to believe your lies?"

He continued to fire on the aircraft, carefully shielding the weapon all the while with his bulk.

"Commander," Hurricane addressed Starscream, "he cannot defeat all of us. Might I suggest a strategy?"

"Be my guest!" Starscream bit out, weaving in and out of the ionic blasts that sprayed all around them. It was a miracle in itself that none of them collided in the confusion.

"It is known as a pincer formation," Hurricane went on, "only I have an idea to enhance it."

"Get to the point, Hurricane!" Thundercracker demanded, moving vertically as he avoided another stream of Astrotrain's attacks.

Hurricane hurriedly explained how the formation worked, the three Commanders calculating the possible outcomes.

"It's a long shot," Starscream admitted, "but it's also the best one we've got."

"All right Elite. You heard the Air Commander," Thundercracker shouted through the comm. "Execute!"

Astrotrain stopped firing momentarily. He watched as the aircraft broke formation, dividing into two teams of six.

This baffled him, as he had been sure that there had been thirteen of them, not twelve. _I have got to get my optical sensors checked._ He decided, shaking his head ruefully. _Right now, I must destroy them. I will rule the Decepticons when this is all over. No one will stand in the way of Astrotrain!_


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Now or Never

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Transformers. They belong to Hasbro and their affiliates. The only characters that belong to me are my previously mentioned OC's. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes, only. I make no profit from it.**

_Author's Note: I thought I'd try something different, and get a beta for my next chapters. Hopefully, this will fill in what I've felt has been missing from my story thus far, and help me achieve the balance I strive for._

_Thank you to my reviewers, and thank you to KayDeeBlu, my beta reader, for your guidance and help. :)_

_**Edit: It should also be noted from this point on, no further editting will be needed. I will make it priority one to make sure future chapters are satisfactory before being uploaded; my beta reader, KayDeeBlu, will help me achieve this. :) Once again, thanks Kay for your support.**_

On one side, Hurricane, Rainstorm, T-Clone 3, Rapidfire, and Mach Three were led by Thundercracker. On the other side of the pincer, Skywarp led Blitzwing along with the rest of the Elite.

Astrotrain was becoming more flustered, unable to concentrate his fire power on both sides of the formation. They closed in on him, all of their projectiles raining down on him. The large grey and purple mech leapt haphazardly from side-to-side, rolling under the limited cover provided by the brush.

Most of his cover burned away, thanks to Thundercracker's incendiary blasts.

The Triple Changer stumbled about, disoriented. He began firing blindly into the air, a last ditch effort to destroy the troublesome aircraft.

Because of this, he didn't see Starscream coming.

The Air Commander broke through the smoke, up the centre of the pincer formation. All of the Elite had activated their radar, having anticipated the visual handicap in advance.

Starscream launched twin missiles, the first colliding with Astrotrain, the other with the Apocalypse Cannon. He pulled up, signalling all other aircraft to do the same.

They didn't have long to celebrate, however; a blinding white beam shot into the sky from the weapon, followed by waves of vibrant light washing over the earth, bursting from the epicentre.

In destroying the cannon, Starscream unwittingly released all of its power.

_What have I done?_

"Oh, we're in trouble." Skywarp muttered as the Elite resumed point formation.

"Is…Astrotrain…gone?" Blitzwing asked.

"We had no other choice," Thundercracker told him, "you know that."

"He was trying to destroy us all, including you." Starscream snapped, "Or should I have let him blow you out of the sky?"

"Take it easy, Star." Skywarp cut in. "It woulda been like one of us gettin' blown up. They were linked, just like the three of us."

Starscream sighed. He knew what Skywarp said was true.

"I am sorry for your loss. But, you must understand…there were no other options available."

The MiG-25 vented softly over the comm. link. "Given the fact we were both trying to destroy the rest of you, no apology is necessary. Besides," he continued, "we have more pressing matters on our servos."

"Of course." Starscream replied, not knowing what else to say. He returned back to the crisis at hand, his voice somewhat shaky. "We must find a way to neutralize the effect. The destruction is already beginning."

As they circled overhead, they could see he was right; not only were they having great difficulty flying with the severe winds that had kicked up, but the ground had begun to split open. Swamp lands began to evaporate, magma bubbling and frothing to the surface. Birds and beasts fled for their lives, as others were consumed by the unforgiving lava.

"Whatever we're gonna do, let's do it fast!" Skywarp shouted.

Starscream switched to an open channel. "Autobots and Decepticons, this is Elite Commander Starscream. We have a bit of a situation, here."

"_Nah_, we could never have _guessed_." He heard the Autobot, Sunstreaker, reply sarcastically.

"That's enough, Sunstreaker." Optimus Prime's voice cut in. "We read you loud and clear, Starscream. What is the status of your mission?"

"Gone to slag comes to mind." Skywarp groused in the background.

Starscream ignored this, and replied. "The weapon has been destroyed, but its power was activated. I will require the help of your best minds to neutralize it."

"It will be done. What is your estimated time of arrival?"

"Inbound in one breem." Starscream returned to the Elite frequency, ordering, "Move out!"

"As you command, sir!"

When the Elite reached the Autobots and Decepticons, it was decided they would evacuate to higher ground. To their great relief, the mountain side was still very much intact.

_It won't be for much longer, however. _Starscream concluded. _It is only a matter of time before it too, is torn asunder. We had better make this fast._

Starscream was joined by Wheeljack, Ratchet, and the Constructicons. Every other bot hung back, just barely tolerating one another in their time of crisis. They idled behind the limited cover they could find, all gathered on one of the lower cliff faces. If not for the sturdy boulders that jutted out at the farthest peak, they wouldn't have any cover from the elements at all.

Pulse and Dropzone had returned with Ratchet some time before. They took this opportunity to report Stinger's condition to the Wing Commanders, explaining in hushed whispers.

"He's critical?" Thundercracker raised an optic ridge, barely concealing his disbelief.

"It seems that way." Dropzone said with a note of sadness in his voice.

Pulse only grunted beside him; the conehead still not particularly fond of anyone in the Elite, save for his Commanders.

"Thank you for the Intel." Thundercracker dismissed them, turning to Skywarp hesitantly. "We can't tell Starscream, at least not yet. He has enough on his plate right now."

Skywarp nodded, his expression one of quiet contemplation.

Thundercracker did a double-take, wondering to himself, _Have I fallen into some kind of alternate universe? _

"This will require tactfulness." Starscream remarked, as he disassembled several of his cluster bombs. "We are going to need a chemist's touch with this."

Mixmaster stepped forward, performing a mock bow. "What other material do we need, need, need?" he asked excitedly.

"In order to neutralize the Apocalypse Cannon's power, we require aluminum plating, water, sodium, quartz crystals, and potassium nitrate."

From somewhere in the back of the group, they could hear Rumble protesting.

"Oh, no you don't! I'm not collectin' bird droppings again. Get 'em yourself, Starscream!"

This outburst was more or less ignored, save for a few quiet chuckles at the miniature Decepticon's expense, Starscream included. He had almost forgotten about their travel back to medieval times. It felt so long ago.

"What do we need the aluminum and quartz for?" Mixmaster inquired, not quite following the plan.

"Those shall be for the machine's parts. Everything else, including the microchips from my cluster bombs, are required to power it."

Rapidfire stepped forward, enthusiastic. "This is a lucky coincidence! This whole mountain side is_ filled_ with quartz crystals!"

"Excellent." Starscream purred. "Now, let's get to work. There isn't an astro-second to lose."

With Mixmaster's advanced knowledge of chemicals, and the rest of the Constructicons speedy workmanship, the Weather Inhibitor was built quickly. On more than one occasion, the Constructicons had groused, not entirely thrilled with working under Starscream.

"Pain in the aft. I'll tell _him_ where to stick the cybernetic screwdriver…" Scrapper muttered, delicately soldering the wiring of the control box. The device was rather small, but it had required all of their services to put it together.

Scavenger had dug deep into the mountain, unearthing the quartz crystals that Rapidfire had told them about. Longhaul, as was typical, was ordered to carry the earth, and dump it over the edge of the cliff to keep their work area clear. Hook had been in charge of collecting the sodium, which he managed to discover in the deepest reaches of their artificial cave. Bonecrusher, much to his dismay, had been sent to collect the potassium nitrate; a job that was difficult at the best of times, never mind when all the wildlife had taken off.

Despite this, they pulled it off. Now, all that was required was Starscream's finesse, and Wheeljack's ingenuity.

The rest of the Transformers watched intently, some of them showing signs of impatience and anxiety. The Elite in particular, were quite restless. The F-14 twins kept fidgeting, their wings twitching so much that they were kicking up clouds of dust. This caused Pulse to snap at them, which in turn, set the rest of the Elite on edge.

It wasn't until a scuffle broke out between the conehead and Rainstorm that Skywarp deigned to intervene. He pried the femme and mech apart, as Thundercracker ripped into them.

He muttered something unintelligible under his breath after he'd dismissed them, though Skywarp was certain he'd heard something about ' inept subordinates'.

"You can all settle down, now." Wheeljack beamed at the lot of them, his helm fins glowing a soft orange. He was unaffected by their sour moods, which served to aggravate them more.

"The Weather Inhibitor is nearly complete." Starscream announced, standing from his crouched position. He made a few more alterations, before letting out a weary ventilation. "Now, it is time to see if it works. Only, there's a bit of a setback…" He trailed off, eyeing his warriors in a furtive manner.

"Uh, okay. What is it?" Hurricane finally spoke up, since no one else seemed eager to find out.

"One of us will need to fly directly over the Apocalypse Cannon's position, where this all started." Starscream explained. "From there, the Weather Inhibitor needs to be activated."

"Well, that doesn't seem so bad." Mach Three grinned, though his optics flickered with uncertainty. The grin faltered, and he looked to his comrades for confirmation. "Er…right? Am I right?"

"No, you are _glitched_." Pulse hissed. "Directly _over_ the cannon is the most disastrous! It's a suicide mission in the making!"

"Though it pains me to admit it," Rainstorm stated, casting an icy glare in Pulse's direction that was returned in kind, "he's right. Wait, not about you being glitched!"

The femme placed a hand on Rapidfire's shoulder, his dejected expression dissolving.

The recruit managed a timid smile, letting her know it was alright.

Rainstorm cleared her throat and continued. "The power was released there, and though the eye of the storm is _usually_ the safest place to be, this is most definitely not our 'usual' natural disaster."

"Correct." Starscream affirmed. "For reasons unknown, the eye of_ this_ storm is the most potent area. This will require extreme caution."

"There's nothing for it. We can't stand here, arguing about it all orn." Thundercracker interjected. "We have to stop it before the whole planet is ripped apart."

"I'll do it."

All heads turned in the direction of the voice. Skywarp stood rigidly, looking slightly uncomfortable with all eyes on him. Despite this, none could mistake the determined gleam in his optics.

Starscream and Thundercracker were momentarily dumbstruck. And then, the protesting began.

"Are you _insane?_ 'Warp, you can't-"

"What? Skywarp, I strongly suggest that you-"

"You _must_ be crazy. The storm will tear you-"

Starscream stomped his foot down on the ground suddenly. "I FORBID IT!"

When his trine mates looked like they were about to continue, he held up a hand, gazing at them sternly. "Stop!" Skywarp shouted, his crimson optics burning with fierce determination.

Once the commotion died down and a pin could be heard through the silence, Skywarp continued. "It has to happen. We're all gonna die otherwise. Is that what you slaggers want? For everythin' we've done to go right to the pit?"

Starscream's jaw kept opening and closing, the Air Commander at a loss for words. Thundercracker hung his head; a heavy sigh sliding from his lip components.

The blue Seeker answered for both of them, defeat heavy in his tone. "No."

"Good, then it's settled." Skywarp replied smugly. "Who else is better for the job? No one."

"How do you fig-?" Starscream began, stopping as Skywarp began chortling, a wry grin on his face.

"Cripes, Starscream." The darker jet began to laugh harder, all of the Autobots and Decepticons exchanging worried glances with their respective teams.

Thundercracker looked at Starscream in bewilderment, both shrugging. Had Skywarp officially lost it?

As Skywarp's laughter died down to wheezy giggling, they were further convinced of this fact. It wasn't until he calmed down entirely that he was able to speak again.

"And they say _I'm_ dense," he commented dryly, wiping mirth from his optics, "or did you guys forget I can teleport?"

Though there were still inherent risks, even with Skywarp's ability, Thundercracker and Starscream relaxed immediately.

The Autobots and Decepticons, not content with just standing around, set out on their own missions.

"Autobots, there is work to be done." Optimus proclaimed. Every set of blue optics were upon him, waiting expectantly for their leader's orders. "Expend all your effort on saving any humans that reside around the Rainforest."

"You've got it, boss." Jazz saluted. The second-in-command turned to the left half of the group. "Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, Warpath…" He continued to rattle off names, forming his human extraction team.

"Autobots, follow me!" He called, once they were all assembled. The group set off, ready to fulfill their mission.

"The rest of you," Optimus' voice rang clear, "focus on preserving as many of the indigenous animal life as you can. Roll out!"

Megatron turned to his own troops, a look of disgust on his face. "Though I care nothing for the carbon based life forms on this planet," he rumbled, "I think it would be in our best interest to do what we can to delay the Earth's destruction."

_Considering the fact that we're on this unfortunate mud ball, we have little choice._

"What do you wish of us, mighty leader?" Brawl inquired, the other Decepticons echoing him.

"As much as it pains me to say it, we shall help the Autobots. We will need to build outposts, where their precious fleshlings can be deposited once they have been rescued." He did what he could not to gag on the thought, but was unsuccessful.

Dragstrip made a face, his fellow Stunticons mirroring him.

"No arguments." Megatron warned, raising his cannon for emphasis. "Get going!"

If his life and the lives of his most loyal troops were not in jeopardy, Megatron wouldn't care at all. But since their lives _were_ at stake, he was most co-operative; or at least as co-operative as he was capable of being.

Skywarp shot into the air, the rest of the Elite doing likewise. It had been decided, if Skywarp was to fail, one of them would take his place. This would be repeated as many times as possible.

_Although, I'd prefer if we didn't have to do this at all. _Starscream thought. He took his customary position, the Elite doing a 'V' formation. Skywarp flew ahead of them, the black jet weaving and pitching as the wind battered at his hull.

_Steady, 'Warp. _Thundercracker encouraged silently, not daring to communicate with him lest he broke the other F-15's concentration. He could feel Starscream's tension as well, and hoped Skywarp wasn't distracted by their incessant worrying through the trine bond.

All around them, the wind howled as it tore plant life apart below. Debris flung through the air, large branches and pebbles striking the aircraft. Dents appeared in their armour, cracks running the length of their cockpits. This did not dissuade them from their mission, however. They continued on, only slowing as Skywarp teleported.

From that point on, all they could do was fly close by, and hope for the best.

If not for his radar, Skywarp wouldn't have been able to see. Wind and rain lashed at him, pushing and pulling him in every direction. Noticing he had finally made it above the Apocalypse Cannon, he transformed to bipedal mode, gripping the small device as it was released from his cargo space.

It took all of his concentration to maintain flight, as he simultaneously threw the switch with trembling hands.

_I hope this works…_

An eerie green light flooded him, erupting in a blast that rippled through the air, pulsing over the land. It threw him back, somersaulting head-over-heels toward the ground. A sick feeling washed over him, ass he struggled to remain conscious. He squeezed his optics shut, bracing himself for impact.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: The Sky is the Limit

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Transformers. They are a product of Hasbro and their affiliated companies. The only characters I own are my previously mentioned OC's. No profit is made from this fanfiction. It is for entertainment purposes only.**

_Author's Note: Like with my last chapter, this one too, has been revised by my beta reader, KayDeeBlu. Thanks for all your help and guidance Kay. You've been a great help, and I gladly consider you one of my online friends. :) I also apologize for the wait; this would have been uploaded a good 24 hours before now, except Doc Manager decided it didn't want to work. _

_Without further ado, we return to the story._

"Skywarp!" Starscream shouted.

Thundercracker chimed in through the trine's link. "_Skywarp, you've got to teleport!"_

"Why isn't he answering?" Starscream pondered aloud.

The Elite circled the energy emission dangerously close. The green waves lapped the fleet in every direction. They struggled to stay airborne, their turbines whining in effort, but it was in vain.

"Decepticon Elite, prepare to land!" Starscream ordered, as he and Thundercracker led them to safety through the savage winds. Debris was flying around more precariously now, large branches and slabs of aluminum cutting through the air like so many knives. The Air Commander only had to guess where the the metal siding had come from.

_I guess it is reasonable to assume the cloning facility no longer stands. _He mused, blasting detritus out of his line of vision with laser fire. On his other side, Thundercracker was doing the same, ensuring that none of the larger, more harmful pieces would hit them, or the Elite recruits. If not for their thousands of vorns of flight longevity, their descent toward the ground unscathed would be impossible. As it was, they were lucky the cross winds hadn't resolved in them crashing into one another.

"What about Commander Skywarp?" Mach Three queried, transforming as he landed.

"He's not responding." Thundercracker answered, his optics locked on the ebony seeker as he began to plummet toward the ground.

_C'mon Skywarp, you can't quit on us, now…_ He silently begged.

Slicer followed his superior's gaze. "What if he's been knocked out?"

Thundercracker ran forward. "We've got to help him!" Just as he was about to transform, a steady blue hand caught him by the wing mid-stride.

"No, TC. If we go out there, we'll be destroyed. What good can we do for him, then?" Starscream pointed out, his optics locking on the other's pained expression.

"Well we can't just stand here and do nothing!" Thundercracker argued, baring his dentals in agitation.

Before either of them could argue further, Warp-Clone 1 jumped into the air, transforming as he did. His thrusters roared to life, and with a loud _pop! _he teleported, leaving the rest of the Elite to gape in horror.

Warp-Clone 1 arrived just in time, catching Skywarp by one of his ankles just before he hit the ground. The emerald waves of energy were dissipating, the rising magma receding back to the earth's core. As it went, it sealed up the fissures that had formed, the ground becoming stable once again.

Warp-Clone 1 teleported back to where the Elite stood, still transfixed by what they had witnessed. He gingerly lowered the still unconscious Skywarp onto the soft earth, and landed, reverting to his bipedal mode.

"You…saved him." Thundercracker said, his optics wide with astonishment.

"How…could I…not? I was…created from…him." Warp-Clone replied. "I wish…to…put my existence…to good…use, as he…has."

"Well, you have accomplished that perfectly." Starscream said, his tone carrying gratitude.

He turned his attention to Skywarp, the teleport lying half on his front, his legs twisted slightly to the side. The Air Commander decided it was time to attempt a wake-up call, and knelt next to his wing-mate.

_Good thing it's a fairly simple procedure. _He mused, opening the panel that ran adjacent to Skywarp's cockpit. He gave it a cursory glance, and began reconnecting wires that had come loose during the teleport's mission. He noted there wasn't a great level of damage, and was relieved. Retracting his hand, a small soldering tool took its place, and he began to weld the few minor breakages that had occurred in some of the gyros.

Satisfied with the results a low-level jolt was sent into Skywarp's spark, the panel being closed afterward. Skywarp's optics came online, the rest of him following with a groan. "What happened?" He rubbed his helm, looking around. His vision began to clear, and he was able to see his wing-mates and their Elite recruits, their faces a mixture of uneasiness and relief.

Thundercracker helped him up, explaining as he did so. "Your mission was a success. The Weather Inhibitor counteracted the effect of the Apocalypse Cannon."

"Yes, you did quite well." Starscream added, clapping a hand on Skywarp's back. "The blast packed quite a punch though. It rendered you temporarily offline. Your clone rescued you."

Skywarp turned to face the colour-inverted version of himself, a grin spreading across his faceplates. "You saved me, eh? Thanks."

He gripped the clone's hand appreciatively, the other returning his quirky smile. "No thanks…necessary."

"How did you do it?" Skywarp pondered, the rest of the Elite going into fits of laughter.

"Oh, didn't you know, sir?" Rapidfire chuckled. "He can _teleport_, just like you!"

Thundercracker playfully smacked the side of Skywarp's helm, guffawing as he did. "Now, what was it you said about _us_ being dense?"

_~Several Days Later~_

After the success of counteracting the Apocalypse Cannon's affects, a temporary truce was put in place, so that each faction could focus on their own versions of rest and relaxation.

The Decepticons returned to the Nemesis, presumably to lick their wounds and concoct more diabolical schemes.

The Autobots, on the other hand, expended all their efforts into revitalisation projects. Most of the Amazon Rainforest had been razed, so they set to work on planting more of the indigenous plant life that had once been so abundant there. They helped build safe houses for humans until their own homes had been repaired, and did all that they could to aid the wild life, most of which revolved around relocating them, if only temporarily.

Other regions around the world, too, had been affected. It was most fortunate that the Autobots had muscle to spare. What they couldn't return to its natural state, they left to time. If not for Perceptor's Acceleration Ray, the plant life would take decades, maybe even centuries to reach its former state. The device, most fortunately, could grow saplings as thick as Optimus Prime himself, within a month.

The Decepticon Elite, having lost the cloning facility that they had used as a base of operations, constructed new headquarters along the Canadian border, on the very edge of Ontario, just on the outskirts of Niagara Falls. This put just enough distance between them and the other two factions, and the climate was temperate.

Though their new base was nowhere near as large as the cloning facility, it was more than enough to accommodate them.

From its entrance, a short corridor led to a large, heavily fortified elevator. This elevator descended underground three levels. The first level housed (from front to back) a recreational room, complete with a modest energon bar, communications console/GPS and map database, and television broadcast centre. There were stools and tables in various places around the large, open-concept room, along with large, comfortable sofas, made of the most pliable alloys and a substance that could only be defined as memory foam, though it was far more superior.

The second level held the sparring room, which was down the left of a long corridor, littered with practice weapons and landing mats. A few doors up from this was the battle simulator, a large room with a high ceiling. Large constructs of metal jutted out from the floor, spaced haphazardly to provide cover. It also contained a holographic projector, which created enemies-some of which were actual scans of Decepticons or Autobots, whereas others were created from scratch-for the Elite recruits to practice against.

On the same level, down to the far end of the right corridor, was the medical wing, where Stinger had been transported after the construction of the base had been completed.

Despite his great dislike for the Autobots, Starscream had to admit, they had taken care of Stinger quite well.

The Air Commander had just finished checking up on the recruit, and boarded the elevator. He waited patiently as it made its descent, not even lurching as it picked up speed.

When the elevator stopped and the doors hissed open, Starscream's audios were disrupted by the sounds of a scuffle.

He rolled his optics. A wry grin twitched at the corner of his mouth as he strode out of the elevator. Given that this was where the Elite's private quarters were kept, he wasn't surprised one iota.

From the third door down on the left, he could hear a scattering of thumps, accompanied by raucous laughter and shouting. This was followed by the sounds of furniture being overturned, the resounding crash giving way to yelps of surprise.

_Ah, so they're at it, again._ He mused. He didn't bother to stop at the third door, however, and continued to his own, further down on the right. It wasn't uncommon to hear Slicer and Rapidfire rough-housing in their room; they were brothers, after all, not much different from the trine themselves, and no actual harm came from their wrestling matches.

Starscream stopped in front of his door and pressed the door lock, which opened with a _whoosh_ of air. He stepped inside, and made his way over to his berth. He shared a room with Thundercracker and Skywarp, just as he had in their days aboard the Nemesis. The only difference was, the room was comfortably large, with sections to allow each of them privacy. Familiarity bred contempt, after all, and there had already been enough of _that _under Megatron's command.

The week had been long, so it didn't surprise the Air Commander to see both of his wing-mates already on their berths, deep in recharge.

He made his way to his own berth, which sat in the far left corner between Skywarp and Thundercracker. Since Seeker's didn't care much for low ceilings, there was plenty of room on either side of the each berth complete with full height dividing walls.

Along the same wall as the recharge berths was the decontamination shower, sectioned off by a frosted wall. Continuing down the right of the room was a small television broadcast console, along with a low table and a small couch. A mini fridge sat in the far corner, and the rest of the room was dedicated to shelves, in which Starscream's scientific findings were labelled on data pads.

A few of these belonged to Skywarp, concerning building schematics, power sources and maps, since these went well with his particular talents. Only the odd data pad belonged to Thundercracker, but that was fine by the cerulean seeker; owning less meant he wasn't tied down by material possessions.

After casting a cursory glance around the room to make sure everything was still in order, Starscream exhaled a weary sigh and lay down, slipping into the first peaceful recharge he'd had in vorns.

The next day was dedicated to working on the four clone members of the Elite. It had been decided they would be given new designations; this also encompassed personality/central processor modification, and new paint jobs.

"T-Clone 3, you're up first." Skywarp called, leading the vibrant pink seeker into the med bay. He lay on the available berth, where Starscream began the necessary procedure to individualize the clone.

Shortly after they had returned Earth to its natural state, Starscream had sent Thundercracker to Cybertron. Rather than stealing personality components of defective Decepticons-as Starscream had done, creating the Bruticus incident-Thundercracker managed to salvage personality components of neutral Cybertronians, whom had been abandoned at the height of the war.

Starscream tweaked the components slightly, erasing the memories of the mechs they had belonged to, allowing the clones to retain their own memories. T-Clone 3 was in a light stasis, which allowed Starscream to work efficiently, rerouting the neural pathways into the new components, wiring them to the central cortex. He worked delicately, his nimble fingers never faltering in their task. Once he was done, he ran a diagnostic scan, checking that everything was running smoothly.

A few kliks later, T-Clone 3 came back online. Skywarp helped the mech on to his feet and led over to where Thundercracker stood. The blue Seeker waited at the far end of the med bay, ready to put on the finishing touches, paint and spray nozzle in hand, his face holding a slight relieved smile.

_Finally, I won't have to endure anymore jokes about him being pink!_

T-Clone 3 stepped forward, allowing the cobalt seeker to start his own delicate work. He started painting around the seams of the armour, the clone jolting slightly from the slightly ticklish sensation. He relaxed soon after, allowing Thundercracker to finish his limbs, and going on to his wings. The paint felt comfortably cool, the clone closing his optics and letting out a sigh.

Once Thundercracker was done, T-Clone 3 no longer resembled the pink seeker he'd once been. His main colour was a deep green, accented with yellow and black stripes running perpendicular on his wings. From the forearm down to his hands were black, his toe plates the same, with yellow on his knees, chest and shoulder vents. His cockpit had become translucent silver, finishing the physical modification from clone to individual seeker.

Thundercracker arched an optic ridge. A quirk of a smile was on his lips. "Well, now that your paint job is done, what is your designation?"

"My name is Cloudstrike," the former clone said boldly, his voice a deep baritone, "for in battle, I shall emerge from the clouds, and strike fear into our enemies' sparks!"

Thundercracker chuckled. "Welcome aboard, Cloudstrike. You are to be chief of your unit, once their maintenance is complete."

"I am honoured, sir!"

And so it continued with each clone, Cloudstrike soon joined by the others. In T-Clone 2's place stood Solar Eclipse, who remained teal, but had gold and royal blue striping; the gold also was along his chest, knee joints, and vents, the royal blue on his hands and toe plates.

Where Warp-Clone 1 would have stood was Espionage, now almost entirely black, except for red and blue striping. Last, but not least, was Super Nova-formerly S-Clone 2. He was turquoise, with white and silver accenting him much the way his fellow seekers paintjobs were coordinated.

All, like Cloudstrike, bore silver cockpits, their faces white with black helms, resembling two of the three seekers that had created them (for Starscream's face was several shades darker).

Once they were all assembled, Starscream briefed the foursome, Skywarp and Thundercracker on either side of him, waiting patiently.

"As you have no doubt been informed by Commander Thundercracker, you now form a squadron within the Elite faction."

Each one of them nodded in response, the Air Commander continuing on. "Cloudstrike, you are to be leader of your squadron, code-named Night Assassins."

This was met with cheering, each former clone eager to prove their mettle.

Skywarp stepped forward, taking over. "As you might've guessed by the name, your missions will be executed at night."

"What is our first mission, Commander Skywarp?" Espionage asked eagerly, bouncing on his thrusters in anticipation.

"I'm glad you asked." Skywarp chuckled, putting a steadying hand on the other's shoulder. "The time has come for us to prove the strength of the Decepticon Elite."

"Yes," Starscream picked up the thread again, "it is time to prove that we, not Megatron, are the true Decepticons! We shall take our place in Decepticon hierarchy, and be unstoppable!"

He cackled then, the rest following with hearty laughter and cheering. Skywarp and Thundercracker exchanged an amused look, and chuckled to themselves.

"If I didn't know any better," Thundercracker murmured, "I'd think Starscream has completely lost it."

"Heh. What else is new?" Skywarp shrugged.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Too Little, Too Late

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Transformers. They belong to Hasbro and their affiliated companies. The only characters that belong to me are my previously mentioned OCs. I make no profit from this. It is for entertainment purposes, only.**

_Author's Note: I'd like to thank my reviewers once again for your support, and I'd like to thank my beta reader, KayDeeBlu, for your encouragement and guidance. :)_

_Now, on with the story._

It was another week before the Elite put their plans into action. In that time, Stinger had made a full recovery-something neither Starscream, nor the others, believed possible.

Given his noble sacrifice, Stinger was appointed captain over his fellow Elite members. With his new title came responsibilities and rights in concocting battle strategies; if the Air Commander and his Wing Commanders were detained for any reason, he would gain temporary command. Under these circumstances, Cloudstrike would become his second-in-command. In the meantime, though, the two recruits remained equals in rank.

"Our time to mobilize has come," Starscream proclaimed, "you all have been training diligently. Now, it is time to put your training to good use."

The Elite were gathered around the console in the recreation room. Some sipped energon, all the while keeping their optics on the video display the Air Commander highlighted.

Starscream tapped a few console keys and zoomed in on an image of Cybertron. Heavily damaged structures filled the screen. Bridges and runways were in ruin, their superior alloys jagged and torn. No doubt using ground alt modes in the area was a hazard to anyone foolish enough to attempt it.

"We are to land on Cybertron here, in the city of Kaon. From here," Starscream pointed for emphasis at a particular side street, "we shall overthrow Shockwave's forces, and claim the Decepticon headquarters for our own."

Starscream turned off the display. He beckoned Thundercracker over with a wave of his hand.

The blue seeker obliged, and stepped forward. "Proceed to room oh-nine to stock up on artillery," Thundercracker ordered, "from there, you are to go to the med bay for weapon's check, courtesy of the Air Commander. You are dismissed."

"Report back in two groons!" Skywarp added. He shook his head. A wry grin twitched at the corners of his mouth. A glance passed between him and his trine mates, mirroring the same level of amusement as they listened to the enthusiastic chatter of young voices babbling on and on.

"I hope they're ready." Thundercracker said after a moment. His optics focused on the doorway the recruits had just exited. His smile was replaced with a frown. His twitching wings further confirmed the concern for the Elite troops.

"They better be," Starscream answered, "this will be our biggest assault with them to date."

The Elite proceeded to their personal spacebridge two hours later. It was located four-hundred kilometers south-west of their base and hidden in the dense forests of Windsor, Ontario.

Once they had arrived, they were assaulted by the smell of pine needles and mossy earth. Light rain created a constant pitter-patter on the leaves above them. The sun was just barely visible through the canopy, though this had more to do with the grey clouds drifting overhead than the density of the foliage.

Starscream turned his attention on Slicer. His blue fingers snapped to get the shorter mech's attention. "I require your talents."

Slicer raised an optic ridge questioningly. "Of course, sir. You need me to hack into the Decepticon spacebridge frequency?"

Starscream nodded. The recruit got to work. He fiddled with the spacebridge controls, a look of deep concentration etched into his face plates. Once he was done, he stood for a moment, his processor deciphering the encryption code he'd just hacked into.

With a triumphant smile, he turned to his superior, feeding him the data via the Elite internal link.

"Good work." Starscream declared and turned to the rest of his troops. "Alright, all of you. Get inside the gate! We leave in a nano klik."

The troops obeyed, scurrying to get within the circular ring before it closed. Just as the last pair of wings entered, the gate closed with a hollow _clunk,_ and began humming with power. Bright yellow and green light flashed on the upper ridge of the gate, following a clockwise sequence.

As it whirred faster and faster, a triangular beam of pale yellow light shot upward. The air within the gate's perimeter stirred until it nearly became a full-fledged tornado. Dirt kicked up, making each one of the seekers shield their suction of the wind's power pulled them up, and as they reached the apex, they were blinded by a flash of white light. Just as suddenly as it had come, the light vanished, the Decepticon Elite along with it.

As soon as they arrived in Kaon, the Elite took up defensive positions. When Slicer had hacked into the Decepticon spacebridge's mainframe, he had set their course not in the control room that Shockwave frequented, but just at the control tower's outer perimeter. The slight change in their triangulation allowed them to arrive undetected, away from security drones and prying optics.

The street they stood on was deserted, save for a large scrap bin in the dark and musty alley behind them. Overhead, Cybertron's two moons shone brightly, one of them full, while the other waned.

Starscream took the lead. The red and silver seeker peered around the corner of the wall they had taken refuge behind. His optics swept over the electrified fence that guarded the control centre. He smirked, and gestured the others to follow him with a jerk of his head.

Silently, they made their way to the fence, noting that no other preventative measures had been taken, in ensuring intruders didn't get in.

Skywarp and Thundercracker scouted opposite sides of the perimeter, making sure that they were truly alone. They gave Starscream signs of confirmation, two fingers pointed in the air, swirling once quickly overhead. The Air Commander nodded, and leapt over the fence, using his thrusters to gain altitude. The Elite followed his movements, the two Wing Commanders taking up the rear.

As they landed, red lights flashed at the corners of the control tower, and an alarm blared to life, a few of the recruits jumping in surprise. Before Skywarp could even let out a string of profanities, fifteen security drones clambered into view, Shockwave standing in the middle of their defensive line, the Elite with no means of escape.

Starscream backed up a few steps, both null-ray cannons hefted in the direction of the purple Cyclops. Skywarp and Thundercracker held similar positions. The Elite troops standing behind them muttered their displeasure.

Shockwave took a few slow, exaggerated steps forward. "You do not have authorisation to be here." He announced His yellow optic glared at the trine. "You will surrender, or you will be terminated."

Starscream glowered back at the Decepticon guardian, his dentals grinding painfully. After a tense moment, he lowered his weapons, his wing-mates doing the same.

"Elite, stand down." Starscream ordered. "We have lost the battle."

The troops did as they were told, though some of them did it with far less enthusiasm than others. They dropped their weapons to the ground, and put their hands behind their heads in surrender. Shockwave signalled the security drones with a wave of his hand. Two of them stepped forward to retrieve the weapons, while four others set to work disconnecting any firearms that were attached to their wielders.

Once this was accomplished, the drones formed a circle around the Elite, urging them forward with their laser rifles. Shockwave fell behind; making sure his own weapon was trained behind the seekers as they were led into the control tower. They were led down a short corridor, and on to an elevator. Within the confines of the steel lift, claustrophobia set in. Rapidfire in particular whimpered as he found himself crowded toward the very back. When at long last the doors hissed open, the captive troops toppled out, the security drones resuming their formation around them.

Starscream's optics swept over the large, circular control room. His jaw clenched as he surveyed the dim, violet lighting he had come to hate. Unaware that he had started to lag behind, he was reminded none-too-gently by a rough shove from Shockwave, the seeker nearly tripping over his own feet in the process. He let out a growl, glaring back at his captor, but kept moving forward, not daring to test the spacebridge guardian's patience.

The Elite were led out of the control room, and into a dark, narrow corridor the Air Commander recognized immediately.

_The detention cell block._

The security drones halted, their captives doing likewise. Shockwave returned to the front of the formation, and keyed the access panel to the first cell. The energon bars disappeared, and the Elite were shoved into the cell. Rainstorm cursed as she fell on top of Mach Three, who was already sprawled on the floor thanks to the 'encouragement' of the drones. With fifteen of them in the cell, it was rather crowded-a fact no one was particularly happy with-but the energon bars fizzing back into existence discouraged any extravagant movements.

Satisfied his captives weren't going anywhere, Shockwave peered at them. Starscream glared at him with all the hatred he could muster. He could just imagine the Cyclops smiling, if he'd had lips to smile with. After all, had long had the guardian waited to become Megatron's favourite? With the former second in his clutches, along with his trine, he would surely be promoted by his 'illustrious' leader.

Shockwave turned away, dismissing the drones as he too, exited the detention block. Starscream glared daggers at his back, his optics narrowed to angry slits.

_We may have lost the battle,_ he consoled himself, _but we haven't lost the war!_

It wasn't long before Megatron arrived on Cybertron, flanked by Soundwave and Ramjet. It seemed an unnecessary precaution, however; the Elite were too well secured in their cell, and even if they could escape, it would only be to meet the end of a sentry or security drone's cannon. Even Starscream would not be so foolish as to risk the lives of his troops. If they were to attain freedom, it would be through the Air Commander's cunning, Skywarp's teleportation, or Thundercracker's battle prowess.

Unfortunately for the Elite, Skywarp's teleportation ability was being neutralized, undoubtedly thanks to Shockwave's foresight. When it came to taking prisoners, the Cyclops was prepared for every possibility.

_I suppose it will be up to me, then._ Starscream mused, absently listening to Skywarp's grousing. The darker seeker was far from pleased, having his most favourable quality inaccessible to him, and after one look at Thundercracker, it was clear to the Air Commander that his other wing-mate was far too depleted of energy to lead an offensive.

Any scheming on his part would have to wait. Once Megatron and Shockwave were done exchanging pleasantries, the silver tyrant approached the occupied cell, his optics boring into each face, finally settling on Thundercracker first.

"Ah, Thundercracker." He shook his head, feigning remorse. The cobalt seeker stared back with an inscrutable expression. "I always knew you had doubts in the Decepticon cause, but this betrayal-I admit, I hadn't expected it from you."

Thundercracker gave a start, his optics widening ever so slightly. He tried to mask it at the last moment, but it was too late.

"Don't look so shocked," Megatron admonished, a sad smile on his lips. "Your hesitation wasn't obvious to everyone, but even you couldn't escape Soundwave's telepathy."

Thundercracker remained silent. There was no point denying any of it, not when he stood next to Starscream at this very moment, not when he had chosen to desert Megatron with his wing-mates. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with them was all the evidence of his betrayal the High Commander needed, after all.

Behind him, Thundercracker heard Pulse growling, his thrusters rumbling in agitation. The conehead lacked the wisdom to know Megatron was not a mech to be trifled with, but fortunately, the tyrant paid him no mind.

He only had optics for the trine, and said optics were now observing a very uncomfortable Skywarp.

"You, Skywarp. You surprised me most of all." Megatron said in his gravelly voice. "What could have compelled such betrayal from one of my most loyal, I wonder?" He stroked his chin, frowning at the seeker. Skywarp shifted nervously, his ventilations becoming quicker.

For the briefest of seconds, Skywarp's optics flicked between Thundercracker and Starscream. When they returned to Megatron, his spark sank. His wings drooped in response.

Looking at his wing-mates had been as much a confession as words would have been, and served to have the same effect. Megatron didn't bother to hide the triumphant smile on his face, his optics lighting up with understanding.

"Ah, so it is for your _friends_ that you defected." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

The teleporter hung his head, defeated. _Good going, you idiot. You probably just doomed everybody with your stupidity! _His optics stared straight down at his feet. He didn't even bother to look up when Megatron began talking to Starscream, but his audios perked up, unable to block out the argument that ensued.

Starscream glared at Megatron. His arms crossed tightly over his chest.

"Naturally, I wasn't surprised by your treachery_, Starscream_."

Silvery white wings twitched in annoyance, and ruby optics narrowed. If not for the energon bars, he would have lunged at Megatron by now.

"If you weren't surprised, then it means you suspected it all along," Starscream spat, "and if that is the case, why didn't you dispose of me when you had the chance, _Megatron?_"

"Dispose of you?" Megatron sounded genuinely surprised, a hand coming to rest on his chest as he frowned at the detained seeker. "You were one of my best. Even your rebellious nature didn't overshadow your superior skills in leading the Decepticon Air Defense."

Starscream's jaw hung open for a moment or two, the seeker unable to summon his vocaliser to work. It had been the last thing he'd expected to hear from Megatron. His look of bewilderment hadn't gone unnoticed by the High Commander, who seemed to have entered a trance-like state.

His optics dimmed, as though he was looking far away, or into a different time. "Hmm. Perhaps I should have told you that more…" he trailed off, his voice barely a whisper.

Starscream vaguely wondered if Megatron had even realized he'd spoken out loud. As the High Commander's optics hardened once again it was the only viable explanation. What else could have possessed him to utter those words?

'Well, enough chit-chat." Megatron declared. His voice reverberated within the corridor, breaking Starscream free of his reverie. "Shockwave, bring these three to separate dungeons. Perhaps we can extract information from them as to why they were on Cybertron _this_ time."

"And what of the other prisoners, Lord Megatron?"

A cruel smile pulled at the corners of Megatron's lips.

"Do with them what you will."

"No, wait! Leave them out of it! They were only following orders!"

Thundercracker's deep voice carried down the corridor. He struggled against the drones hauling him and his wing mates away from the cell block. It was common knowledge Shockwave could be quite cruel to prisoners. The blue seeker had grown quite fond of the Elite troops.

On the opposite side of the drone holding Thundercracker in a tight grasp. Skywarp began struggling. His voice was desperate. "It's true! They're just lackeys. That's all! "

"If they are so unimportant, why do you protest so earnestly?" Megatron remarked dryly, glancing over his shoulder at the seekers struggling in his wake.

"Do what you want to us," Starscream declared as they came to a stop, "but do not harm them!"

Megatron whirled around, his optics flashing dangerously, dentals bared as he stared the Air Commander down.

"You are in no position to make demands of _me_, traitor!"

After a long moment, Starscream folded, his gaze dropping to the decking below his feet.

Shame knotted his insides. His ventilations quickened as he tried to finding a solution to their predicament. No matter how hard he thought about it, there was no relief in sight. He didn't want to beg; after all the years he'd had to crawl before Megatron, he'd had enough. It wasn't just his life at stake; there were the lives of his wing-mates and their troops to consider. Could he really abandon them all to Megatron's mercy-or lack thereof-in the name of pride?

"_Please_." Energon bile burned in his throat, choking him. "Do not harm my troops. Spare their lives. You can do whatever you wish to me."

Skywarp and Thundercracker both gasped, staring at the Air Commander in utter disbelief. If not for the magnitude of the situation, their reaction would have been quite comical to witness. As things stood though, Starscream was far from being in the laughing mood.

"Star, no…" Thundercracker croaked. His hand reached out for his wing brother, only stopping due to the drone still restraining him.

"We're in this together," Skywarp protested, "all or nothing!"

Starscream sighed, his optics averted as he spoke. "I have dragged you both through the mud long enough. This was my plan. I won't let anyone else suffer for it."

"If you think we're gonna let you take the full penalty yourself, you can kiss my-" Skywarp began, only to be cut off by Megatron.

"Silence!" He roared, his optics glowing with a dangerous fervor. The trine quieted instantly. All three sets of wings quivered from the sharp reprimand.

"You will _all_ pay for your treachery." he snarled. Inhaling deeply, he calmed his fury, and continued on in a softer, more threatening tone. "However, your troops will be spared-provided they swear allegiance to _me_, and me alone!"

With that, he ordered the drones to place Skywarp and Thundercracker in separate chambers, both of which were further down the dim corridor they now stood in. He would get to them, and the Elite troops, shortly.

But first, there was a certain Air Commander to interrogate…

Two hours had passed, with Starscream refusing to talk. Megatron had left the interrogation chamber in a fit of rage, allowing the seeker an unintentional respite. He hung from the high ceiling, suspended by his wrists. Stasis cuffs encircled them, his arms apart, chains supporting his weight. His ankles were cuffed together, with a solitary chain pulled taut between his feet and the floor.

The seeker scanned the room as much as his bonds would allow, taking in the dank, dark environment. The walls were rusted in many places, and stained in others. Starscream tried not to think too deeply on this fact, but the stains resembled various lubricants, undoubtedly from the unfortunate prisoners that had been there before. He shuddered, looking away from the wall opposite him, and gazed up. Little pin pricks of light came through, where laser fire had pierced the dome ceiling. He knew he was dead centre, and that to his far left, there was a console. He wasn't sure what the nature of the machinery was, and he wasn't in any hurry to find out.

Megatron hadn't stooped to torture methods-at least, he hadn't _yet._ He had attempted scare tactics, his fusion cannon pressed against multiple parts of the seeker's body; methods that, once upon a time, would have had the Air Commander shaking uncontrollably, begging for mercy.

But, after all this time, Starscream had become immune to such tricks. Frustrated by the lack of response, Megatron stormed out, conceivably to come up with another method of extraction.

Once he had surveyed as much of the chamber as he could, Starscream decided to try the trine link, anxious to hear the voices of his wing-mates.

"_I'm okay so far."_ Thundercracker replied first, his voice husky as though from interrupted recharge. Or at least, that's what Starscream hoped.

"_I'm alright, too. Megatron hasn't even been in here to interrogate me."_ Skywarp chimed in, sounding just as exhausted as Thundercracker had.

"_That's because he just wasted the last two hours becoming more frustrated with me."_ Starscream chuckled, his words tinged with bitterness.

"_Are you okay, Screamer? He hasn't tortured you or anything, has he?"_ Skywarp's voice came anxiously.

"_Not so far."_ He assured both of his trine mates. _"For the time being, I'm alone."_

"_Huh,"_ Skywarp grunted thoughtfully. _"What do you suppose he's up-"_

Skywarp's voice cut out, replaced by static. Starscream inhaled sharply, tensing against his bonds. _"Skywarp, are you still there? Skywarp, do you read me?"_

Thundercracker, too, began frantically calling the black seeker's name, his deep voice cracking._ "'Warp! 'Warp, are you okay? 'Warp, respond, goddamn it!"_

Starscream was startled as the chamber door hissed open, admitting not one figure, but two. Megatron strode into the room, thrusting Skywarp ahead of him. The dark seeker stumbled, landing painfully on his knees. Megatron stepped forward, a small, grey remote in hand. Starscream was bewildered, until he looked at Skywarp thoroughly. A strange device was clamped onto his right wing. It was a flat, white panel, riddled with blue and green circuitry.

"Perhaps this will be incentive for you to talk." Megatron declared. "Tell me what I want to know, or watch your_ brother_ suffer."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: The Jagged Knife of Remorse

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Transformers. They belong to Hasbro and their affiliated companies. The only characters that belong to me are my OCs, all of whom have been previously mentioned. I make no profit off of this; this is intended for entertainment purposes only.**

_Author's Note: I apologize to all my reviewers for the delay. I hope you all have been enjoying this story, and continue to do so. As it has been since chapter 13, this chapter too, is being beta read by KayDeeBlu. Thank you Kay for all your support and guidance. Thank you also to my reviewers. :)_

_It should also be noted that I give Thundercracker some additional weapons, in contrast to his ability to use sonic booms and his incendiary guns._

_We continue…_

"Don't listen to him, Screamer! Don't tell him-aaarrgh!" Skywarp protested. His protests turned midway into a pained cry. His voice echoed within the high-ceilinged interrogation chamber, as indescribable pain passed through his body.

Megatron moved his thumb off the button he'd been pressing. The small remote rested in his palm. Skywarp was at his feet, lying face-down. His ventilations were shallow, with pained gasps punctuating them. Energon droplets covered him from helm to wings. They rolled off his trembling body; from fear or pain, Starscream didn't know.

"This device," Megatron indicated the large panel clamped on Skywarp's wing. "Sends high voltage surges throughout his entire frame."

He turned his gaze back to Starscream. The Air Commander was struggling against his bonds, his dentals bared savagely.

Megatron's lip twisted into a sneer, half-amused at the murderous gleam in the other's optics. "Every time you don't answer my question, his torment will go on longer. Every other time between, I will turn up the voltage." The High Commander made his way over to Starscream, eyeing him carefully.

"I'll ask again; what is the purpose of your mission on Cybertron?"

"_Don't tell him, Star."_ Skywarp ordered through the trine link.

His optics found Starscream's. Thought and emotion transferred through the trine bond, expressing everything that couldn't be said.

The red seeker nodded stiffly. What Skywarp had communicated to him was clear. If he gave in, the rest of the Elite would suffer. They would be executed; every last one of them.

He may have promised to let the recruits live, but under his command, they would always be walking on a double-edged sword.

Megatron's word could not be trusted.

Starscream couldn't quell the grim thought that crept into his processor.

_Even if we survive this, how will we ever find a way out? It will take nothing short of a miracle!_

His thoughts came to an abrupt halt.

Skywarp's anguished cries filled the chamber once again.

Time was indistinguishable to either of the seekers in the interrogation chamber. For all the agony Skywarp endured, minutes felt like hours.

Starscream no longer struggled against his bonds. His optics were closed. His head fell to one side in an effort to tune his wing-mate's pain out.

Megatron released the small, black button once again, and fixed the Air Commander with furious optics. The other returned his glare, albeit with traces of fear.

Pushing his rage down, Megatron spoke once again. "If I turn the voltage up one more time, Skywarp's circuitry will be fried. You have one last chance, Starscream. Choose wisely!"

Starscream looked down to Skywarp. The purple seeker trembled. His battered body coughed up energon, vision fading. He curled in on himself, wrapping his arms around his chest tightly. Remaining conscious was at the utmost importance.

"Don't…" Skywarp choked out. One hand reached toward Starscream.

"If that is your decision, then so be it!" Megatron shouted. His index finger hovered over the button. His optics hardened with anger.

"No, wait!" Starscream protested. He swung back and forth, struggling against the stasis cuffs. The chains suspending him clanked against the wall and vibrated through his arms.

Megatron waited and stared at the Air Commander. A finger extended over the button. A smug smile lit his face.

Starscream hesitated, as he and Skywarp communicated silently.

"_I have to,"_ he insisted,_ "if I don't, you'll be killed!"_

"_Forget about me. Protect the Elite!"_

Megatron's voice cut in.

"I'm waiting."

He knew perfectly well what was occurring; they_ had_ been his troops, after all.

"I…I can't." Starscream stammered. How could he make the decision to save one, and condemn all of the others?

_But, this is Skywarp!_ He scolded himself. _Your trine mate, one of your best friends! Can you truly condemn him for the others?_

And what about Thundercracker? The blue seeker was every bit as important as Skywarp was. Would he betray his trust, as well?

Guilt flooded him. His optics closed in shame. The Elite may not be his wing-mates, but they were _his _troops. He had helped activate them, and had brought them into _his_ power struggle; just as he had done with Skywarp and Thundercracker.

_How can I decide? No matter what choice I make, there will be consequences for me to suffer._

"If you will not decide, I will decide for you."

Megatron pushed the button, ignorant to the red seeker's pleas.

Skywarp's wails filled the chamber once again, his pain matching Starscream's. The teleporter flipped onto his back as the volts tore through him, wave after wave.

Unable to bear Skywarp's pitiful sounds any longer, Starscream cried out.

"All right! I'll talk!"

Megatron's finger came off of the button once again.

Skywarp lay gasping. A wave of sickness threatened to engulf him.

Megatron folded his arms across his chest, a menacing leer taking place.

"That's more like it, Starscream."

Thundercracker could tolerate it no longer; he could feel a small portion of the pain Skywarp was in, thanks to the trine bond. It tingled sharply through his frame, causing him to jolt in his restraints. On top of it, he could sense Starscream's anguish; the sense of helplessness that over-rode common-sense enveloped him, suffocating him.

_This has gone far enough. Megatron's greatest mistake was leaving me here, unguarded._

Fortunately, when Shockwave had their weapons retrieved, the drones had missed Thundercracker's percussion grenades.

_Now, if I launch this just right, I can get out of her with minimal damage._

His cockpit snapped open. A percussion grenade emerged. Fortunately, his targeting systems were still online.

He smirked in amusement. _Quite the oversight, having the stasis controls within easy reach like that._

The grenade made contact. The blast rocked the chamber, the controls sparking and sizzling from the explosion. Debris sprayed up from the circuit board as chunks of steel fell from the ceiling above, raining down around the seeker.

A jagged piece skimmed beneath one of his optics. Sharp pain registered through his cheek. A trickle of energon oozed from the fresh wound.

Thundercracker dropped gracefully to the floor. He rubbed the tender area. "That was a close one." He grumbled. "Now, it's time to get out of here."

Thundercracker had no plan in mind; there was no time to stop and mull over the possibilities. All he knew was that his trine needed him, and he would get to them by whatever means necessary.

As he ran down the interrogation corridor, uneasiness swept over him.

_How is it possible that no one heard the blast?_ _Shouldn't there be security drones all over me, by now?_

It hit him, then. Clearly, Shockwave had thought nothing of it. They must have thought it was part of Megatron's interrogation. The seeker frowned, as he proceeded down the dim corridor, paying no attention to the flickering lights overhead.

_Even still, they should have double-checked. Obviously, security has become rather lax since my days living here._

He dodged from one side of the hall to the other, keeping his optics peeled for any sign of the security drones, or hidden defenses.

He finally caught sight of the door he'd seen Megatron lead Starscream into, and paused.

Skywarp and Starscream were most likely incapacitated; getting them free wouldn't be too troublesome, now that he knew where the stasis controls would be. What would prove difficult was taking Megatron on by himself. It was highly improbable that the other two had managed to retain any secondary weapons.

_Well, I won't get anything done, just standing around here._

With this thought in mind, Thundercracker grabbed his last two percussion grenades from subspace, and hurled them at the interrogation chamber door.

_This is about to get really ugly…_

Once the grenades had impacted against the door, it exploded. The security controls crackled, the wiring charred and smouldering. Overhead, the corridor lights fizzed out, sputtering as the back-up generator kicked in.

"Slag." The cerulean seeker muttered under his breath. He hadn't anticipated the door blasting inward like that. He bit his lip component, and carefully made his way closer.

What if his trine mates had been caught in the explosion?

Sprinting closer, he cast a wary glance through the opening. Intense heat radiated from the door-if it could still be called that. A large portion of the metal had melted, folding in on itself, leaving a large gap.

Thundercracker gripped the searing metal, ignoring the pain that shot through his sensory nodes. He pried the steel back even further, enlarging the hole in the process. Satisfied it was big enough, he carefully climbed through, and took in the scene before him.

At first glance, the blast appeared to have only knocked Megatron half-way across the dimly lit chamber. An impact mark that looked strangely like his backside on the opposite wall, however, confirmed otherwise.

The High Commander lay in a crumpled heap, unconscious. His nasal plating was pressed firmly to the floor, his limbs twisted at odd angles. Thundercracker nearly laughed at this, until he caught sight of Starscream.

He stepped further into the room, carefully navigating over the debris. A large portion of the ceiling had collapsed, the rest of the chamber lined with cracks that ran deep into the foundation.

Dropping to one knee, Thundercracker quickly assessed Starscream's condition. The trine leader was down, but not out, much to the blue mech's relief.

He grasped one of Starscream's hands and hauled him to his feet. One of the Air Commander's wings was heavily dented. Wiring poked out of his left , he was online, and the rest of his body only bore superficial scratches.

"I'm fine." Starscream mumbled, staggering slightly. "Skywarp…where is Skywarp?" He suddenly became alert. His optics roved around the room for his other wing-mate.

Thundercracker looked around, and finally spotted a violet arm amid the detritus. Charging forward, he frantically began clearing away the rubble. Starscream limped behind him, finally making his way to the pile. He too began hauling debris off the teleporter, swaying slightly as he did so.

With a grunt, Thundercracker hefted the last piece off Skywarp, tossing it to the side. It landed with a _thunk_, echoing around the large room.

The red and the blue seekers got either side of the teleport, supporting him beneath his wing joints.

They began hobbling forward, slowly making their way toward the door. Starscream winced as pain shot up through his leg, but didn't complain.

They finally made it to the opening and stopped. Though the hole had been big enough for Thundercracker to climb through, a different tactic would be required for all three of them to get out.

"I'll go first to make sure the coast is clear," he declared, "when I give you the word, pass 'Warp through, and then follow."

Too exhausted to remind him of who the Air Commander was, Starscream followed the blue seeker's directions. It took a great deal of struggling to ensure the black mech didn't get snagged on the sharp pieces of metal sticking up from the bottom of the door. Several times while trying to pass him through the opening, Starscream had lost his balance, toppling to the floor with Skywarp on top of him.

How he had managed to fall in such a ridiculous position, he couldn't even _begin_ to guess. By the time he and Thundercracker had succeeded, the red seeker was in a foul mood. It hadn't helped when Thundercracker had erupted into throaty chuckles throughout the entire process, either.

Starscream shot a murderous glare at his laughing wing-mate; a none-too-gentle reminder of the magnitude of their situation. The blue seeker sobered immediately, a contrite expression replacing the mirthful one.

Mollified by the apologetic look, Starscream gave a nod, and they continued down the long corridor. Skywarp's thusters scraped against the steel floor, the high-pitched screeching wearing on their audios.

They had just reached the L-shaped junction that led to the control room, when a squad of security drones clanked into view.

"Does this day have an _exit?_" Starscream hissed angrily, casting a quick glance at his wing-mate.

"If it does," Thundercracker remarked dryly, "I bet it's a one-way ticket to the Pit."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Just Another Glitch in the Works

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Transformers. If I did, I'd be insanely rich. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only. No profit is made.**

_Author's Notes: Firstly, I apologize for taking so long. Life's been kind of busy, as of late._

_Unfortunately, my beta is no longer with me. :( I apologize if the content of the chapter isn't as solid as previous chapters. It may be awhile longer before the next chapter follows, which I also apologize for. As always, your reviews are much appreciated._

"Slag." Starscream muttered under his breath. He'd just finished doing a mental calculation of their chances of escaping. There were at least thirty sentries blocking the corridor. Shockwave himself, was planted right in the middle of them. The L-junction was just too small for the three seekers to slip passed.

In other words, the likelihood of them getting out unscathed was marginally low.

_And that's without factoring in rescuing the Elite troops._ Starscream mentally added, casting a sidelong glance at Thundercracker, over Skywarp's shoulder vent.

The darker seeker was beginning to stir between them, a low moan escaping his vocaliser. Ruby optics opened, flickering to life. As he took in his surroundings, he stood up, relieving his wing-mates of their burden.

Clearly disappointed with the situation he had awoken to, he groaned.

"Aw, slag…"

"Yeah, that's about where we left off." Thundercracker deadpanned. He scanned the drones' formation for any weak points.

"Are you badly injured?" Starscream asked. His gaze darted nervously between the drones and Skywarp, flickering slightly.

"Not especially," the other shrugged, "aside from the ceiling collapsin' thanks to _someone's _blast." He shot Thundercracker a smirk.

Before the blue seeker could rebuke, Starscream intervened.

"You can argue later," he hissed, "right now we need to find a way out of this."

The drones were closing in on them, backing them closer to the interrogation chamber. Shockwave joined them, shadowed by Soundwave and Ramjet. All three had weapons at the ready, the barrels of their blasters and cannons glinting ominously.

Ramjet smiled maliciously, his optics gleaming. "Your little rebellion is going well." He snickered. "Bet you actually thought you'd beat Megatron this time."

"Ramjet," Soundwave interrupted in his monotone, "conversation is counter-productive. Mission: check the status of Lord Megatron."

"All right, I'm going." The white cone-head growled. Cautiously, he circled around the three seekers, his weapon never faltering as he stared them down.

Once he was behind them, he ducked through the half-melted door of the interrogation chamber.

A few tense moments went by, the trine feeling rather exposed at their backs. They did not dare to turn, though, due to the weapons currently trained on their fronts.

All three exchanged glances, listening intently. The sound of Ramjet's feet crunching over debris could be heard, followed by strained grunts. They could hear nearly inaudible murmurs, as though the cone-head was tentatively rousing his leader.

An enraged snarl rent the air. All three seekers stiffened automatically, their optics wide.

Thundercracker managed a cursory glance over his shoulder, bearing witness to the last of the chamber door giving way to a high-powered fusion shot. What hadn't embedded itself in the wall opposite had completed melted onto the floor.

Starscream made a disparaging noise, following his wing-mate's line of sight.

Glimpsing between them, both noticed that Skywarp had turned around. Clearly, he was more frightened of a vengeful Megatron, than the troops at his back.

All three sets of audios perked up, listening to the slow, ominous footfalls of their former Commander.

Thundercracker and Starscream joined Skywarp in his about-face, just as the burly tyrant came into view.

_Thundercracker was right all those deca-cycles ago,_ Starscream huffed_, this whole mutiny_ is _turning into a suicide mission!_

Large red optics flashed at the sight of the seekers. Megatron ground his dentals, and came to a halt, Ramjet at his side.

The trio could hear Shockwave and the security drones closing the gap, forming a semi-circle behind them.

Megatron started forward, his cannon lifted to chest height. The scowl on his face caused all three fliers to draw back a step. Skywarp's wings were visibly quivering, his optics large with fright.

Starscream felt a pang of sympathy, knowing just how much his companion had suffered before the chamber had exploded. It had been fortunate timing on Thundercracker's part, despite the injuries sustained from the blast.

Looking at their predicament now, it didn't bring the Air Commander any solace. Both his right wing and leg had suffered enough damage to hinder him in a full-out assault. After all that Skywarp had gone through, he was much the worse for wear. On top of everything, Thundercracker was the only one with weapons.

Things looked pretty hopeless, indeed.

"I grow tired of your games, Starscream." Megatron growled. He stopped once he was an arm's length from them, his gaze sweeping from one to the other. His fusion cannon came to rest against Starscream's cockpit, the flier stiffening imperceptibly.

"Perhaps it is time to follow through on my promises, and be rid of you, once and for all."

Starscream shuttered his optics, and tensed up, waiting for the imminent blast.

It never came.

Instead, the sounds of a scuffle reached his audios. His optics popped open, and dawning lit his face. All around him, the Elite recruits were laying waste to the security drones.

Despite it being a tight fit, Pulse flew overhead, mowing down six drones on the outer edge of the circle. He spat bright yellow laser fire, finishing it off with an EMP blast. Shrapnel sprayed into the air, voices crying out in surprise. His wing-tips scraped against the narrow walls, the modified F-15 just barely managing to stay airborne in such a confined space.

Megatron still has his cannon pressed against Starscream, but his gaze was temporarily diverted. A look of shock slackened his facial features. Clearly, he had not anticipated the prisoners escaping from their cell.

Starscream decided to act. His fist connected with the edge of Megatron's jaw. The silver mech reeled from the impact, a deep grunt emitting from his vocaliser.

The Air Commander fired his thrusters, hovering several feet above the floor. He planted his thruster squarely in the larger mech's chest, giving one solid kick.

Megatron was sent sprawling, knocking Ramjet over in the process. The duo landed in an undignified jumble, Ramjet half-thrown over his superior's shoulder.

"Commander!"

Starscream looked around, recognizing the feminine voice. His optics rested on Rainstorm, as the femme dodged passed Shockwave. She had very familiar cannons tucked under each arm.

Starscream landed lightly, meeting the recruit halfway. She tossed both weapons at him, the Air Commander smirking as he caught them with ease.

Clicking both weapons into place on his upper arms, he gave the femme a quick nod. He began warming up the null-ray, simultaneously spitting laser fire from the other cannon as he did. The shot hit a security drone neatly between the optics, toppling it into one of its comrades.

Rainstorm had returned to the fray, engaged in combat with Shockwave. She sent an impressive kick at the Cyclops, only to have him catch her ankle in his one hand.

The femme let out a gasp. Just as she raised her weapon to fire on him, a blur of red and white took him to the ground. Rainstorm fell along with him, managing to free herself from his grasp.

Starscream landed with a pained groan. His damaged wing was trapped under the guardian, the hydraulics in his right leg beginning to seize up.

Before Shockwave could deliver any critical blows, a purple beam appeared next to him, materialising into Skywarp.

The teleporter grabbed his arm in mid-swing, and blasted the cyclops with his own re-acquired weapons. Outer plating detached from the back of the guardian's head, giving way to dull, grey second armour beneath.

Shockwave whirled around, forgetting the quarry whose wing he still stood on. He launched himself at Skywarp, catching nothing but empty air. Stumbling, he tried to over-compensate, but only succeeded in knocking over a sentry drone that was bearing down on Slicer.

Both tumbled, smacking into the corner of the L-junction, leaving Slicer looking baffled at his luck.

When a giggling Skywarp reappeared, Slicer gave him a knowing grin. Getting to his feet, he dashed off to help his twin. The other was engaged in a firefight with Rumble and Frenzy, Soundwave having released them at the onset of the attack.

The crimson twin was pinned down, a pool of energon gushing from his hip joint. The lilac-coloured fluid coated the decking, making it slippery for the wounded recruit. He fell, his blaster skidding across the floor leading into the control room.

All around, each member of the Elite battled on. For every sentry they took out, three more seemed to crop up.

Thundercracker made his way over to his wing-mates with some difficulty, shouting over the din as he closed the gap.

"My internal communications link is malfunctioning. Tell the others to turn their audios down!"

Neither wing-mate bothered to ask why. They already knew.

Starscream transmitted the order, and pulled a dazed Rainstorm to her feet. He led her by the hand, pulling her behind a large slab of metal that had been sheared from the wall. The pair ducked down, Skywarp joining them. Laser fire streamed by overhead in blurs of yellow and red, the air crackling with ions.

Once each member of the Elite confirmed they had found cover, Starscream cast a furtive glance around the slab's edge. Satisfied with the reports, he cast his gaze at the blue seeker.

Thundercracker had taken up residence in the chamber doorway, his cannons mounted on his arms once again.

"Now, TC!" Starscream ordered.

Thundercracker fired up his thrusters, hovering several feet off of the floor. His face screwed up in concentration, and he raised both weapons. An unmistakable whining filled the air, as his weapons powered up. Once they reached their peak, Thundercracker released the power. A thunderous _boom_ tore through the facility, the entire building quaking to the core.

Both Megatron's and Shockwave's forces clapped their hands over their audios. Cries of outrage and pain intermingled with one another as the excruciating blast rippled through them. Several sentries toppled over, offline, while others were without auditory perception.

"Elite, move out!" Starscream roared.

The Air Commander, along with Skywarp and Rainstorm, jumped past their temporary cover. They were at the furthest end of the L-junction, nearly toward the very back of the interrogation corridor.

Ahead of them, Thundercracker ushered all eleven of the other Elite members toward the spacebridge control room.

Some, like Starscream, were limping toward the exit, their more fortunate comrades helping them past their temporarily immobilised enemies.

They carefully stepped around the debris coating the floor, Thundercracker following them into the control room once his wing-mates had caught up.

As everyone else boarded the lift, Starscream hastily configured the controls to lead to the Elite spacebridge. Programming in the timer, and a fail-safe that would erase their data location once they'd reached their destination, he hobbled as quickly as he could to join his comrades. As the lift's doors began to close, both Skywarp and Thundercracker reached out, just managing to pull the Air Commander in before the doors fully shut.

Once the Elite had made it back to Earth, they began the arduous trek back to base. Along with Starscream, four others were badly wounded.

Rapidfire's left leg was soaked in energon. The hydraulics had quit long ago, leaving the limb slack. The crimson F-14 was panting heavily, his fans working over-time to keep him cool.

Solar Eclipse was missing large portions of armour. His left arm consisted of nothing but fraying, exposed circuitry. One of his optics was offline, and riddled with fractures.

Mach Three was no better off. One of his wings had snapped, nearly in half. It held on by a thin strip of metal, but just barely. His other wing was scored with holes, all cauterised by the blasts that had made them. Energon was leaking from multiple wound points all over his frame. The recruit swayed on his feet, nearly toppling into his wing-mates in the process. If not for Thundercracker's steadying hand, he would have knocked a semi-conscious Dropzone down.

The concorde was leaning heavily on Hurricane. He was the only recruit large enough to support his weight, and fortunately, was unharmed.

Dropzone's visor was dim, and condensation had formed on his helm. His wings twitched feebly, both riddled with large gashes. His entire back was devoid of armour, wiring poking out haphazardly. Shards of glass were embedded deeply in his exposed circuits, causing his wounds to spark and fizzle. Upon further inspection, the trine noticed one of his digits was missing from his right hand.

Skywarp winced at the sight, curling his own fingers unconsciously.

Even with most of the Elite still in tip-top condition, they couldn't make it very far. They struggled on, making two kilometres, before they had to stop.

_At this rate, one of us is going to offline before we receive medical attention. _Starscream seethed.

As they slumped wearily against the evergreens that framed the backroad, Starscream turned to his wing-mates, his expression of utmost seriousness.

"We can't keep going on like this." His voice was low, as he cast a glance at the recruits. "I'm not in the best condition as is, but at this rate, Solar Eclipse and Dropzone are going to oxidize themselves into an early grave."

Thundercracker looked at the recruits, his mouth set into a grim line. Those that weren't too badly injured were trying to help the others. Many carried towing cable and soldering guns for quick field repairs. The blue seeker watched intently as Stinger fashioned a brace for Solar Eclipse's wing. He took several thick branches, and wrapped the towing cable around them, forming a splint. He was very gentle, ensuring that he didn't cause his fellow recruit anymore pain than what he already endured.

A small smile graced Thundercracker's face. It was good to see the Elite recruits finally forming bonds with one another.

Skywarp's voice broke through his musings, bringing him back to the present.

"What do you think, TC?" He was asking.

"Huh? Did you say something, 'Warp?" Thundercracker looked at his wing-mate curiously, his optics brightening.

"I was sayin' I got it mapped out," the teleporter explained, "with a few hops, I can teleport everyone back to base. I can only take one at a time, though."

Thundercracker nodded. It made perfect sense, considering how much energon Skywarp would burn off in the process.

"One thing, though. I don't think you need to teleport _everyone_." The blue seeker said pointedly. "Screamer, Solar Eclipse, and Dropzone are the only ones too hurt to go on their own. I'm pretty sure Rapidfire can make it with the rest of us."

"Stop calling me that," Starscream sniped, resting his weight against a thick silver birch.

Skywarp shrugged. "I guess that could work." Frowning, he added, "Are you sure you'll be alright leading the rest of 'em back to base, you know, on your own?"

Thundercracker cuffed the back of Skywarp's head playfully.

"Piece of energon cake. Don't worry about me. Just make sure you get the rest of them home, okay?"

Espionage stepped forward suddenly, shooting furtive glances at his superiors.

Skywarp noticed him first. A look of puzzlement creased his optics. "What is it, Espionage?"

"Perhaps I can be of service?" The former clone fidgeted nervously, shifting from foot to foot.

The trine exchanged looks of confusion. Skywarp's optics lit up with understanding, and he clapped a hand to his helm.

"Of course!" Skywarp exclaimed.

Starscream and Thundercracker exchanged startled looks at the sudden outburst.

The blue seeker raised an optic ridge. "What do you mean, 'of course'?" He asked.

Before Skywarp could explain, Starscream cut him off. "Espionage is still a teleporter, as well. He and 'Warp can transport myself, and the others back to base in one hop."

Thundercracker looked at the pair of teleporters wearily. "Are you sure you both have the fuel reserves to pull it off?"

Skywarp winked, nudging the blue seeker. "Just like you said. 'Piece of energon cake'. Don't _worry_, TC." he added, catching sight of Thundercracker's dubious frown.

"I know what I'm doin'. You just worry about getting the rest of these aft-heads home, alright?"

The blue seeker smiled in spite of himself.

Skywarp began rounding the others up, guiding Solar Eclipse and Dropzone over to where Espionage and Starscream stood.

With a bit of jostling around, it was decided Skywarp would stand in the very middle, with Mach Three on his left and Dropzone on his right. From there, they would form a circle, with Starscream holding on to Mach Three on his right, and Solar Eclipse on his left-since the Air Commander himself was nowhere near as wounded. Espionage and Rapidfire would close the gap on the right, so that the seekers with the worst injuries would be well supported.

Once everyone was set, Skywarp looked over at Espionage, a relaxed grin in place.

"On three, okay?"

The black recruit nodded, tightening his grip on the charge between them.

"One…two…three!" In a flurry of violet light, all five seekers vanished, leaving Thundercracker to lead the rest.

He turned to look at them, noticing the confusion on nearly every face-save for Pulse, who bore his usual surly demeanor.

"All right, the rest of you!" Thundercracker barked.

Each one of them snapped to attention.

Satisfied, the cobalt flier continued. "Form up. We've got a bit of a flight ahead of us. Cloudstrike and Stinger, you're flanking me. I'll take point in the Air Commander's absence." his optics roved over their eager expressions, and he went on. "The rest of you, even the formation out once we're in the air. Is that understood?"

A collective muttering of 'Yes, sir!' followed his orders.

Satisfied, Thundercracker jumped into the air, and began transforming, his thrusters firing simultaneously. The two lieutenants followed, and so too, did the rest of the Elite.

They tore through the open sky. They passed over the forest they'd just been standing on the edge of, the scent of pine needles wafting their nasal receptors.

"The sooner we get to base, the sooner all of you can recharge." Thundercracker declared.

This appeared to motivate the recruits. All traces of sluggishness were replaced with enthusiasm. They were picking up speed, after burners whining with the effort.

_At this rate, they just might break the sound barrier._ Thundercracker allowed himself a small chuckle, returning his focus on his own flying.

The balmy wind soothed his stressed, over-heated wings. He let out a wistful sigh, finding the scent of oak and pine below to be very pleasing. The sun was setting, gracing the sky with traces of pink and orange, lining the few clouds that rolled lazily overhead with hints of violet.

The sun's rays were warm and comforting atop his canopy; a pleasing contrast to the wind caressing his wings.

Thundercracker cycled his vents again. He missed Cybertron. Though he had just come from there, it had only made his spark ache all the more to return.

He adjusted his dorsals, thinking bitterly as he did, _We get to go home for a little while, and it goes straight to Pit!_

He didn't really_ hate_ Earth, but one fact remained; it wasn't home, and it never would be.

_Yes, the sooner we're back on base, the better_. He consoled himself_. I could use a tall cube of high-grade, and a little down time. After our battle today, the rest of the Elite could use some, too._


End file.
